Explore how Nihilent helped Africa's leading bank design and deliver an Open API Marketplace that unified retail banking across 15+ channels and product systems, delivering ZAR 1 billion in business value.
Service
Strategy & Consulting; Digital Automation; Technology Transformation; Data & Analytics; Microsoft; AWS
Vertical
BFSI
Region
Africa
Tech Stack
Open API Marketplace, BPM, ECM, MDM, OAuth 2.0, Microservices, Data Analytics, Automated Decision Making
The client is Africa’s leading bank with a broad retail banking portfolio spanning payments, loans, cards, investments, and more. To achieve its vision of being digitally first, the bank needed a unified integration layer capable of connecting diverse channels, backend systems, and support platforms seamlessly.
Fragmented systems and disconnected channels were limiting the bank's ability to deliver a consistent, modern retail banking experience.
01
Customers interacted across web, mobile, branch, ATM, chatbot, and more, but without a unified layer connecting these touchpoints.
02
Multiple backend systems covering payments, loans, cards, CASA, investments, and stock broking operated in silos with limited interoperability.
03
The absence of a centralised API framework made it difficult to scale integrations and onboard new services efficiently.
04
Managing customer identity, access, mandates, and compliance across systems required a robust, standardised governance approach.
05
Without a scalable integration architecture, delivering new product features across channels was slow and resource-intensive.
06
The existing architecture could not support the volume and variety of digital interactions required for a truly omni-channel banking experience.
Nihilent designed and delivered an Open API Marketplace as the central integration layer, connecting all channels, support systems, and backend banking platforms.
Open API Marketplace
Built a centralised API layer enabling seamless connectivity across 15+ product systems and 1000+ microservices
Omni-Channel Enablement
Integrated 15+ client touchpoints including web, mobile, branch, ATM, digital wallet, smartwatch, chatbot, and social media
Backend System Integration
Connected core banking domains - payments, loans, cards, CASA, investments, stock broking, and VAS, through standardised APIs
Support Systems Architecture
Implemented BPM, ECM, MDM (Customer 360), OAuth 2.0 security, mandates, and compliance frameworks as foundational support layers
Microservices Delivery
Delivered 1000+ microservices across 15+ tech streams to enable modular, scalable feature development
Automated Decision Making & Analytics
Embedded data analytics and automated decision-making capabilities to enhance personalisation and operational intelligence
in business value delivered
user stories delivered across programs
delivered across retail banking
built and deployed
product systems integrated
tech streams enabled
client experience achieved across all digital and physical touchpoints
By placing an Open API Marketplace at the core of its retail banking architecture, the bank unlocked the ability to innovate rapidly, scale digitally, and serve customers consistently across every channel - turning a fragmented landscape into a connected, high-value digital ecosystem.
