South Africa has a culture of engaging in financial savings via pooled systems. However, not much has been done to facilitate the creation of wealth and to realise the possibilities that can emerge from these droves of cash held by Savings clubs. 

Otela was established to provide investment clubs with a seamless digital platform that provides each investment club and its individual members with tailored financial services. 

Together we set out to make sense of the current trends in the space, grasp what’s on offer in regard to product, service & experience, and map out how the brand can be distinctive by differentiating itself from competitors, building trust with customers, and establish a positive reputation.

For an entire month, we deeply immersed ourselves in the Fintech scene of South Africa, conducting extensive research to gather valuable qualitative insights. Our objective was to develop a brand that would firmly establish itself within South Africa's fintech industry. We fully immersed ourselves in the lives of our target consumers, striving to create a solution that resonates with their desires and preferences, while simultaneously reflecting the distinctive and vibrant aspects of our South African culture.

Developing the study and bringing the subsequent brand to life was possible because of the investment from the Stakeholders and myself. Having stakeholder buy-in was critical in helping us understand the brand better and what it was supposed to represent. Our intent was to gain a deep understanding of what’s on offer, what consumers want, what they need and the greater context of the savings culture. Therefore we looked at secondary data sourced from the team's previous engagement with the consumers in order to develop the necessary insights.

Building on insights and strategic direction developed earlier, I began developing a brand that solved our consumer's pain points, captured their essence and catered to their needs and wants.

Personifying trust and the unique spirit of the brand was an essential element in our Brand Story, and we worked relentlessly to ensure this energy was reflected in every touch point of the brand.

As a result of close partnership and innovative thinking – Otela was created.