About Inez Patel
Experience Design Director, Absa Personal and Private Banking
Inez Patel is a purpose-driven design leader with over a decade of experience in UX, product strategy, and inclusive innovation across the financial services industry.
Currently serving as Experience Design Director at Absa Personal and Private Banking, Inez leads the design of the Absa Banking App—and oversees design for Absa Rewards, Savings & Investments, and Digital Value-Added Services.
Inez is also the co-founder and CEO of She Can Do and a Director of Girls Invent Tomorrow.
Her contributions and impact on South Africa have earned her recognition as one of News24’s Top 30 Young Mandelas of 2025, a Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans honouree, and a One Young World Ambassador.
Talk topic
Global partners, local lessons: Designing Absa's Savings Coach
A cross-continental partnership taught us that while saving is a global financial need, seamless UX is defined contextually. This talk explores what it takes to adapt global solutions to succeed in local realities – from conducting in-depth local research, to inclusive thinking on digital literacy. To create products that are culturally relevant, we must avoid a plug-n-play mentality.
Fireside chat
Women rewriting the story of inclusion in tech
The digital economy is evolving quickly, but progress isn’t only measured by access to technology. True transformation lies in redefining inclusion: who gets to participate, whose voices are heard and how systems adapt to support everyone.
In this panel discussion hosted by Ayanda Mbonambi, we’ll explore how women are breaking barriers in underrepresented spaces, rewriting old narratives around empowerment and positioning Africa’s unique perspective in the global inclusion conversation.
You’ll gain insights into how technology can become a tool for resilience, confidence and systemic change.
Co-panelists:
