Getting clients from registration to their portfolio
Redesigned login and registration for Momentum’s client platform, from discovery and 17 usability sessions to a dev-ready handover.
Available for freelance, consulting and full-time roles
I'm Mandla, a senior product designer in Johannesburg with 12+ years of experience. I work with leading African banks and insurers, turning intricate business requirements into clear, platform-aligned journeys that customers can actually finish.
Trusted by
- Momentum
- Old Mutual
Selected work
Six case studies across banking, insurance and asset management.
Each one starts with a real business problem and ends with a measurable change for customers and the teams who serve them.
Redesigning the Old Mutual Malawi app experience
Led a six-week, human-centred redesign of the Old Mutual Malawi app for users of every level of digital literacy.
Redesigning funeral insurance digital onboarding
Redesigned Hollard’s funeral insurance quote-and-buy journey, growing users 10x and sales by 12% after launch.
Transforming insurance claims through digitisation
Designed Liberty’s online claims portal, replacing paper-based claims with guided digital submission and real-time tracking.
Transforming a multi-brand design system
Helped turn Liberty’s scattered libraries into a multi-brand design system for Liberty, Stanlib and Liberty Health.
Redesigning digital loan management
Designed a self-service loan hub for Nedbank; 60% of loan settlements moved to digital within six months.
12+
years designing digital products
7
leading African financial brands
7+
designers led as a design lead
What I do
Three ways I help product teams ship with confidence.
01
Product and UX design
End-to-end design for complex web and mobile products, from flows and wireframes to high-fidelity UI and prototypes.
- Product design
- Interaction design
- UI design
- Prototyping
02
Research and strategy
Turning business requirements and user insight into journeys that work for customers, the business and the platform.
- User research
- Usability testing
- Journey mapping
- UX audits
03
Design systems and delivery
Scalable systems and close work with BAs, architects and developers, including on Salesforce and other enterprise platforms.
- Design systems
- Front-end build
- Web design
- Design QA
How I work
A clear path from a messy brief to a shipped product.
The same four stages run through every case study here, scaled to the size of the problem.
-
01
Discover
Stakeholder interviews, analytics, support calls and heuristic reviews, so we agree on the real problem before anyone opens Figma.
You getProblem framing, journey maps, success measures
-
02
Define
Business rules, compliance needs and platform limits mapped with BAs, architects and SMEs, then turned into a clear scope.
You getFlows, requirements, priorities
-
03
Design and test
Prototypes put in front of real customers early and often, with each round of usability testing shaping the next.
You getPrototypes, test findings, high-fidelity UI
-
04
Deliver
Dev-ready specs, design system components and design QA alongside engineering until the work ships.
You getSpecs, components, design QA
Experience
12 years inside Africa's biggest financial brands.
From leading design teams to consulting on enterprise platforms, in order.
-
2014
2014 – 17
Yookos
UX/UI Lead
Led a 7-person design team
-
2017
2017 – 19
Nedbank
UX Designer
Nedbank Money app and web banking
-
2019
2019 – 20
Hollard Insurance
Senior UX Designer
Self-service claims platform
-
2020
2020 – 21
FNB
Senior UI/UX Designer
Usability audits that cut complaints by 15%
-
2021
2021
Freethinking Business Consultants
Design Lead
Led a team of 7+ designers
-
2022
2022
Absa Group
Senior UI/UX Designer
Everyday Banking app and web
-
2023
2023 – 24
Liberty Group
Senior UI/UX Designer
Claims, Client Portal, IAM design system
-
2024
2024 – now
Freelance
Product Designer
Momentum, Old Mutual Malawi and other clients
-
2026
2026 – now
micro1
AI Training Expert (Contractor)
AI training and model evaluation