Today GSMA is publishing a case study on ‘Zap’, Zain’s mobile money service that was introduced in February 2009. In just over a year, Zap has been deployed in Bahrain, Kenya, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Niger, Malawi and Uganda. But while Zain’s desire to make Zap ubiquitous is clear, so far their approach to designing mobile money ecosystems has been less well documented – and perhaps a bit misunderstood.

In this case study, we examine the key elements of Zain’s strategy for deploying Zap in East Africa, including their approach to organizational design, service design, marketing, distribution, and bank partnerships. We also provide a snapshot of the initiative’s current status, including their successes (i.e. registering 4 million users in Tanzania) and challenges (i.e. underinvestment in certain key areas).

This will be an important and interesting year for Zap. Be sure to read this case study to understand how the deployment is positioned, and as always we look forward to your feedback.