DPO Group, one of Africa’s leading payment service providers, set out to enhance its mobile app experience for merchants across the continent. The goal was to design and optimize the DPO Pay App — a secure, scalable, and easy-to-use mobile platform enabling merchants to accept payments, view real-time transactions, and manage their accounts seamlessly. My role was to lead the UX design process, grounded in user research and aimed at delivering a solution that meets the unique needs of small and medium-sized businesses in Africa.
Despite the growing demand for digital payments, many African merchants struggled with the tools available to them. Existing systems were fragmented and lacked support for various payment methods like cards and mobile money. Merchants also faced:
Outdated and unintuitive mobile interfaces
Limited access to real-time transaction data and daily cash flow
Inability to collect payments on the go
Low trust in digital solutions due to poor usability and performance
These challenges hindered the adoption of digital payments, especially for businesses without technical expertise.
The redesigned DPO Pay App emerged as a one-stop mobile solution for modern African merchants. By integrating multiple payment methods, offering instant payment notifications, and delivering clear, accessible transaction data, the app significantly improved merchant confidence and adoption. Through user-centric design and continuous feedback from businesses in retail, hospitality, and services, the app delivered a simplified, intuitive experience that empowered merchants to operate efficiently, anytime and anywhere.
To design a solution that truly meets the needs of business owners, we began with in-depth user research across several key African markets. We interviewed merchants from various sectors—retail, hospitality, services, and more—to understand their day-to-day challenges, expectations, and habits around receiving payments.
The findings revealed a strong demand for simplicity, flexibility, and trust in digital transactions. Merchants wanted a single platform that could accommodate multiple payment channels, provide instant payment notifications, and offer clear transaction summaries without the need for technical know-how.
Location: Stone Town, Zanzibar
Business: Mid-sized Swahili restaurant catering to locals and tourists
Suleiman runs a popular restaurant in Stone Town that attracts both locals and tourists. His business is growing, but managing payments—especially from tourists using international cards or mobile wallets—has become increasingly difficult. He wants a reliable, easy-to-use payment system that doesn’t interrupt her customer flow and helps her track her sales better.
Accept card and mobile money payments seamlessly
Keep business and personal transactions separate
Track daily sales and generate simple reports
Offer payment flexibility to customers (especially tourists)
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Brian runs a small toy shop in a busy Nairobi estate. He markets his products through Instagram and WhatsApp, receiving many inquiries from parents who prefer to pay remotely. He’s a hands-on entrepreneur looking to scale his business by offering digital payment options and streamlining how he handles money.
Send secure payment links to customers via WhatsApp or SMS
Accept mobile money and card payments from both walk-in and online customers
Track and reconcile all payments in one place
Grow trust with customers by looking more professional and streamlined
To ensure business owners could access key features quickly and intuitively, we focused on thoughtful idea generation grounded in real user needs. Based on insights gathered from our research, we mapped out the information architecture and user flow to create a smooth, efficient experience. This helped ensure that actions like accepting payments, viewing transactions, and generating payment links were simple, accessible, and friction-free for all users.
To ensure consistency, scalability, and efficiency in the app’s development and user experience, I created a comprehensive design system specifically tailored for the DPO Pay App. This system included a unified set of components, typography, color schemes, iconography, and interaction patterns — all optimized for mobile environments and the needs of African merchants.
The DPO Pay App is designed around real merchant needs—intuitive, flexible, and reliable. Its clean interface and seamless experience make it easy for businesses across Africa to accept payments, track transactions in real time, and operate with confidence anytime, anywhere.
