éKwanza

A digital wallet and payments platform supporting financial inclusion at scale.

éKwanza is a digital wallet and payments platform that supports one of the first large-scale electronic money initiatives in Angola.

Designed to reach people with limited or no access to traditional banking, it enables everyday operations through channels adapted to the local reality, including basic mobile phones and low-connectivity environments.

Challenge

A significant part of the Angolan population still operates in the informal economy, relying heavily on cash and with limited access to banking services.

The client wanted to increase financial inclusion by giving more people access to basic financial services, create new digital channels to reach customers beyond physical branches, support simple day-to-day operations such as top-ups, payments, transfers and bill payments.

éKwanza aims to offer an effective solution for users with non-smartphone devices, no mobile data, and very limited network coverage.

All of this with high requirements for security, compliance and the ability to scale as adoption grew.

From the start, DXspark acted as a long-term technology partner, working continuously with the client’s internal teams to design, build and evolve the platform over several years.

Long-term partnership

The project was delivered under a model, with DXspark teams working side by side with the bank’s internal teams with a Product Ownership shared between DXspark and the client, aligning business priorities, regulatory requirements and technical decisions.

A mindset of continuous evolution for the platform, rather than a single, one-off delivery.

A multi-channel solution for the local reality

The solution was designed from day one as a multi-channel platform capable of serving different user types:

• Individual customers
• Agents and merchants acting as local banking touchpoints

The platform supports operations such as top-ups, payments, transfers and bill payments across web and mobile interfaces, USSD and IVR channels, which are essential for users without smartphones, without mobile data or in areas with limited connectivity.

This ensures the system can serve both urban users and communities in regions with more limited infrastructure.

Experience designed for different literacy levels

Working closely with the client and their knowledge of local users, the experience was designed to simplify critical flows (sending money, topping up, paying services), consider different levels of literacy and cultural contexts and reducing the risk of errors in sensitive operations through clear screens, well-defined steps and explicit confirmations.

On the éKwanza Operations, the platform improved and simplify processes, reducing bureaucracy and making operational management more efficient.

Continuous technological evolution

Throughout the product’s lifecycle, DXspark supported the technological evolution of the solution starting from an initial architecture and then moving towards a more modern approach with and hybrid model on-premises + cloud architecture.

This evolution improved performance, scalability and responsiveness as the user base grew and new services were introduced.

Results

Over the years, éKwanza has become a reference in digital payments in Angola, establishing itself as a strategic channel in the bank’s digital offering.

The solution has contributed to increasing access to basic financial services for people previously excluded from the banking system, reducing dependency on cash by promoting safer and more traceable digital payments, supporting financial literacy, inclusion,  and also improving operational efficiency by replacing manual, paper-based processes with digital workflows.

More than a fintech platform, eKwanza has consolidated itself as a pillar of the bank’s financial inclusion strategy and the ecosystem it serves.

The éKwanza case shows DXspark’s ability to act as a long-term technology partner on critical platforms, deliver end-to-end solutions, from architecture, backend, mobile, web, USSD and IVR channels and also balance inclusion, compliance and scalability in demanding, regulated environments.

This is a concrete example of how technology, process and ongoing commitment can translate into large-scale financial inclusion.