Launching a digital banking unit and open banking marketplace

The situation

A large African banking group operating across many markets was building an open banking ecosystem, with a beta API marketplace launched, a developer sandbox in place, and its first partners signed. The strategic intent was clear: expose a broad range of APIs beyond payments in a self-service environment and build a digital business around them. What was missing was a holistic monetization framework and a defined route from platform to profitable business, at a time when fintech competitors threatened existing revenue streams and the direct customer relationship.

Our role

Our senior team led the growth and monetization strategy for the bank's digital unit and open banking marketplace, working with the executive, digital, technology, and product teams.

The work

We defined the strategic goals and value proposition of the marketplace through management workshops and internal stakeholder surveys, segmenting API consumers and providers and establishing the principles on which the platform would compete: value-based pricing, broad initial targeting with focus on high-value segments over time, and low barriers to platform access.

We built the monetization model from evidence: customer surveys across 28 products in 12 markets, benchmarking of bank and non-bank marketplaces, conjoint analysis, prediction analytics, and live value experiments. We modeled value metrics across eight products and defined the pricing structure, product bundles, and price models for API services, from revenue basis and price metrics to differentiation by segment.

We developed the open API and fintech partnership approach to extend customer experience and innovation, aligned with emerging regulatory standards, and set out the launch roadmap: priority APIs, bundle design, and the organizational capabilities the bank needed to monetize the platform.

What changed

The bank launched the marketplace and the digital business behind it, a fast-growing venture. The monetization strategy identified new revenue streams and improved the profitability of the bank's digital channels, and the growth strategy extended the group's footprint through partnerships, market entry, and product diversification.

Related service

This assignment sits within business performance and investment readiness: growth strategy and commercial development for a bank's new digital business.