The Playbook
Rewards infrastructure.
In depth.
Operational guides, market intelligence, and infrastructure thinking for companies building reward programmes across Africa. Written by Abby Sotomiwa.
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10 published
The state of consumer rewards in Africa — 2026
What's genuinely working, what's still broken, which markets are maturing fastest, and where the biggest infrastructure gaps remain. Not a forecast. An honest assessment.
How to build a loyalty programme in Nigeria — the complete guide
Programme design, the right mechanics for Nigerian consumers, delivery channels that actually work, what to measure, and the mistakes that kill programmes before they have a chance to work.
What reward programmes actually cost — and what it costs to skip them
Most budget conversations start from the wrong question. The right question isn't 'how much does a reward programme cost?' It's 'what is the cost of not having one?'
How African banks are using rewards to fight churn — and what's actually working
Churn in African banking is high. Switching costs are low. The programmes that reduce it look completely different from the ones that just tick a loyalty box.
What reward value actually drives action in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa
Getting the value wrong is the single most common reason programmes underperform. Here's what the effective window looks like in each market — and the multiplier that most teams miss.
How to issue reward cards via API in Nigeria — a step-by-step guide
From trigger design to a Naira-denominated reward card in a Nigerian recipient's WhatsApp in under 2 seconds. The Nigeria-specific failure modes that aren't in the generic docs.
What is a rewards API? A plain-English explanation for non-technical buyers
You keep hearing about reward APIs. Here's what it actually means, why it matters for African businesses, and the questions you should ask before you buy.
Reward card vs gift card vs voucher — what's the actual difference?
Three terms. Used interchangeably. Meaning different things. The distinction matters enormously when you're the one issuing at scale across multiple African markets.
USSD and rewards in Africa: the infrastructure that reaches everyone
WhatsApp gets the attention. USSD reaches 600 million people who don't have smartphones or data plans. If your reward programme can't work on USSD, it can't work in most of Africa.
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