Africa’s tech industry is in the midst of a transformation, not just in how technology is built, but in how it’s experienced.
At the heart of this shift is a new wave of product designers who are challenging old paradigms and creating user experiences that are smarter, more inclusive, and deeply rooted in local context.
In 2024, design is no longer an afterthought in African tech, it’s a strategic advantage. Whether simplifying financial services, enabling remote healthcare, or empowering civic engagement, these designers are reimagining digital products to be more human, more intuitive, and more impactful.
This feature by Techeconomy highlights some of the bold, curious, and creative minds leading that charge. They’re not just designing interfaces, they’re shaping how millions of Africans engage with technology every day.
1. Daniel Abayomi (Nigeria)
Daniel is a Nigerian Product Designer, Mentor, and Co-Founder of Growteq—a non-profit organization dedicated to equipping teens and high school students with tech skills through no-code learning paths.
Currently a Product Designer at Meta, Daniel is passionate about delivering real-world impact by crafting thoughtful and effective product solutions.
Based in Lagos, he brings years of design experience along with three years as a Frontend Engineer. His work spans a diverse range of products, from grassroots non-profits to major tech companies with ambitious visions.
Daniel has extensive experience across multiple industries, including Fintech, Healthcare, Hospitality, Blockchain, Education, and Automotive. He has a keen eye for uncovering a product’s broader potential and translating it into engaging, functional design.
Previously, he served as the Design and Product Lead at Brass and worked as a freelance Product Designer at Toptal, among other roles.
2. Samuel Allotey (Ghana)
Samuel is a talented Product Designer and Podcaster, recognized as the Artpreciate UI/UX Designer of the Year in 2022. He currently holds the position of Senior Product Designer at SecondSTAX and he is also an IXDF(Interaction design Foundation) Country manager in Ghana.
With over six years of experience, Samuel has crafted user-centric solutions across a range of industries including fintech, e-commerce, and recruitment.
His portfolio includes work on Forex applications, shopping platforms, and messaging widgets. Always eager to grow, he is keen to explore new sectors and embrace fresh challenges.
Having worked with multiple startups, Samuel is adept at managing the full product design lifecycle, from initial concept through to launch and iteration.
He thrives in cross-functional teams, actively collaborating with product managers and engineers to ensure alignment and clear communication throughout the design process.
Outside of work, Samuel enjoys mentoring upcoming UX designers and sharing insights through a design podcast, which he co-hosts alongside three peers.
Previously, he has held product design roles at companies like Andela, FactoryFix, and Hubtel, among others.
3. Mosope Adebowale (Nigeria)
Mosope Adebowale is the definition of ambitious and adventurous. Currently a Product Designer at Meta, he brings a deep curiosity about the intersection of human behaviour and technology to his work.
Throughout his career, Mosope has focused on crafting seamless, intuitive user experiences. His mission is clear: to make technology more accessible and easier to use for people everywhere.
His design journey began with graphic design, evolved into UI design, and eventually led him to what he describes as “the sweet spot”—UX design.
He’s passionate about big ideas and gravitates toward brands that are committed to building products that enrich the human experience.
Mosope’s past roles include User Experience Designer at KPMG Canada, Lead Designer at Andela, and freelance visual designer.
Beyond design, he dreams of traveling across all seven continents to deepen his understanding of diverse cultures and societies.
4. Habeeb Azeez (Nigeria)
Habeeb is a Nigerian Product Designer with a strong technical foundation and a passion for creating digital experiences that drive real impact. Currently at Moniepoint, one of Africa’s leading fintech companies, he designs user-centered solutions that enable businesses to accept payments, access credit, and manage their operations with greater efficiency.
With a background in Computer Engineering from Yaba College of Technology, Habeeb blends design thinking with technical insight to build intuitive, end-to-end products. His experience spans multiple industries, including fintech, e-commerce, and logistics etc. where he has consistently delivered scalable solutions that serve thousands of users across Africa.
Beyond his core work, Habeeb is deeply committed to community and mentorship. As an active mentor with Friends of Figma Africa, he supports emerging designers in developing their skills and navigating their career paths.
He also contributes to the design community through open-source projects, workshops, and speaking engagements aimed at empowering the next generation of African designers.
Whether he’s refining user flows, guiding design handoffs, or mentoring upcoming talent, Habeeb is driven by a vision of a more inclusive, accessible digital future across the continent.
5. Sharon Wangari (Kenya)
Sharon Wangari is a Kenyan Product Designer whose impactful work across the continent has earned her a well-deserved place on this list.
With over 8 years of experience, she specializes in Service and Systems Design, as well as Design Research,crafting solutions that expand access to essential services for underserved communities.
Her work has taken her across Eastern and Southern Africa, where she’s had the privilege of immersing herself in diverse cultures and collaborating with experts from various disciplines. Sharon is driven by a passion for creating meaningful, inclusive products that make a tangible difference in people’s lives.
She currently leads product design at Paystack, where she oversees and guides design initiatives across teams.
Her previous roles include Senior UX Designer and UX Chapter Lead at Sendy Ltd., Senior Designer and Design Manager at the Nairobi Design Institute, and Design Fellow at Dalberg, among others.
Sharon continues to champion human-centered design, ensuring that innovation reaches and resonates with the people who need it most.
6. Felix Obinna (Nigeria)
Felix is an experienced Nigerian Product Designer with nearly a decade of industry expertise. A graduate of Graphic Design from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, he has spent over nine years helping businesses and teams craft impactful products that bridge user needs with business goals.
Known for seamlessly switching between strategic thinking and hands-on design execution, Felix connects the dots between organizational strategy, product vision, and user experience, bringing clarity to complex interaction challenges.
He previously led the design team at Chinook Capital (Youverify.co), contributed to product development and design operations at Devcenter, and currently heads a Product Design team at Flutterwave in San Francisco, California.
Felix has a strong track record of building and scaling design teams, defining effective product design processes, and mentoring designers throughout the product life cycle.
7. Chidinma Aniugbo (Nigeria)
Chidinma is a Senior Product Designer with a background in Economics and a passion for solving complex problems through design.
She has led high-impact projects across various industries, including fintech, education, and public health, working with global organizations such as Shopify, Babbel, Toptal, Co-Creation Hub, Swipe, and Workforce Group.
Currently based in London, Chidinma is known for her user-centered, data-driven approach. Her work consistently aligns user needs with business goals to deliver intuitive and effective solutions.
Notably, she improved barcode integration for merchants at Shopify, achieving a 96.97% coverage rate. She also led the design of a digital epidemiology network in Africa, significantly enhancing COVID-19 testing accuracy and disease surveillance.
Beyond her professional achievements, Chidinma is committed to uplifting others in the design community.
She is the founder of Design Chics, a non-profit supporting African women in design, and she built a Job Board highlighting remote and relocation opportunities for African design talent. She actively mentors aspiring designers and creates career-focused content on YouTube and social media.
Chidinma holds a B.Sc. in Economics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She continues to use her voice and skills to advocate for inclusion, knowledge-sharing, and impactful design across the globe.
8. Mitchelle Chibundu (Nigeria)
Mitchelle Chibundu is a Product Design Lead, author, and creative educator with over seven years of experience in fintech. At Ledger, she leads design strategy for payments, crafting intuitive and inclusive crypto experiences.
Her past roles include impactful work at Wise and Flutterwave, where she was a founding designer and helped scale the design team from 2 to 15 while launching the company’s first merchant-facing mobile product.
With a background in Marine Biology from the University of Lagos, Mitchelle brings systems-level thinking to her design practice.
She’s also the founder of Designer Babe®, a global creative community of over 50,000 people, and the author of two best-selling books: Clueless to Designer and Dear Designer, Write.
Her work bridges thoughtful product design with community building, empowering the next generation of tech creatives.
9. Oyeleye Ogunsanya (Nigeria)
Oyeleye Ogunsanya is a self-taught, multidisciplinary product designer and the Head of Design at Risevest, a fintech platform enabling Nigerians to invest in dollar-denominated assets.
With a foundation in economics and certifications in design thinking and AI, he brings together analytical depth and creative clarity.
Leye began his journey by sharing design experiments with friends before joining Myth Digital, where he honed his skills across branding, illustration, and product design. He later founded OE Studio, a platform aimed at making design knowledge more accessible.
He has led the design of impactful products like Risevest.com, 0xlegacy.com, and Calvest.app, and is recognized for embracing the messy, exploratory nature of the design process. Outside work, he enjoys driving, dining out, and draws creative inspiration from places like Rwanda.
10. David Mwangi (Rwanda)
Davie Mwangi is a seasoned Kenyan product designer with over a decade of experience in human-centered design across East Africa. He currently serves as a Senior UX Designer at Google, leading user experience efforts for Search in Sub-Saharan Africa and creating inclusive, impactful digital experiences for the region’s diverse user base.
Prior to Google, Davie held leadership roles at companies like poa! internet, KOKO Networks, and Bank of Kigali, where he drove design strategy, user research, and product development. His work spans fintech, connectivity, and e-commerce, consistently focusing on solving real-world problems through thoughtful design.
Beyond his professional work, Davie is deeply committed to growing the design community in Africa. He regularly mentors emerging designers, speaks at industry events like Nairobi Design Week, and actively participates in local UX meetups.
His passion for knowledge sharing and collaboration continues to inspire a new generation of designers working to shape the future of technology on the continent.
