NovaBank SA — Operations & Technology Plan
The operating model, the core-banking and technology platform, the cloud and security architecture, and the operations underpinning the bank.
Section 7 · Business Plan
Operations & Technology Plan
The operating model, the core-banking and technology platform, the cloud and security architecture, and the operations underpinning the bank.
NovaBank’s operating model is engineered from inception around a
single principle: every customer interaction that can be digital should
be digital, every interaction that requires human contact should be
excellent, and every back-office process should be automated end-to-end.
The Company will operate from a single Operations HQ in Pretoria with a
Sandton head office, supported by a contact centre, a network of 280
branch-lite sites by Year 5, and approximately 2,400 contracted
retail-partner agent points.
7.1 Technology Architecture
The technology stack is cloud-native, modular, and API-first. The
deliberate design principle is to buy and configure rather than build,
accelerating time-to-market and de-risking the technology programme.
Core architectural choices include:
| Layer | Vendor / Approach | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Core Banking | Tier-1 cloud-native vendor (Mambu / Thought Machine Vault / Temenos T24 Transact Cloud) | Proven scale; rapid configuration |
| Cloud Infrastructure | AWS Cape Town region (primary), Azure DR | Data residency; SARB Joint Standard 2 compliant |
| Mobile App | Native iOS (Swift) + Android (Kotlin) | Performance, biometrics, app-store quality |
| Web Channel | React + TypeScript | Component reuse; PWA capability |
| Identity & KYC | Smile ID / Refinitiv with HANIS integration | Sub-2-minute onboarding; Home Affairs validation |
| Card Issuing | Marqeta / Episode Six | Real-time controls, virtual cards, freeze/unfreeze in-app |
| Credit Decisioning | FICO + proprietary behavioural overlay | Bureau + behavioural data fusion |
| Payments | BankservAfrica RTC, EFT, PayShap; SWIFT for FX | Mandatory rails; PayShap is critical to UX |
| Data & Analytics | Snowflake + dbt + Looker | Single source of truth; daily insights |
| Cybersecurity | CrowdStrike, Cloudflare, HSM-backed key management | Zero-trust; SOC 24/7 |
Table 7.1 — Technology architecture decisions and supplier
shortlist.
7.2 Branch & Agent Network Plan
The physical network is deliberately compact. Each branch-lite site
is approximately 60–90 m², staffed by 3–5 customer service
representatives, configured for account opening, card collection, and
complex query resolution. Cash handling is outsourced to retail partners
(e.g., Pick n Pay, Shoprite Money Markets, Boxer) where customers can
deposit and withdraw at point of sale.
| Channel | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Branch-Lite Sites | 5 | 20 | 75 | 165 | 280 |
| Retail Partner Agent Points | 120 | 450 | 1,100 | 1,800 | 2,400 |
| ATM Network (own + partner) | 500 | 1,200 | 2,800 | 4,500 | 6,000 |
| Customer Service Centre Agents | 45 | 180 | 420 | 680 | 920 |
Table 7.2 — Branch, agent, ATM, and contact-centre footprint by
year.
7.3 Headcount & Talent Plan
NovaBank’s people strategy emphasises lean teams, modern engineering
culture, and B-BBEE alignment. Total headcount grows from 320 in Year 1
to approximately 4,200 by Year 5 — well below the 7,000+ FTE that an
equivalent customer base at an incumbent bank would require.
| Function | Year 1 | Year 3 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology & Engineering | 85 | 260 | 480 |
| Operations & Service | 120 | 1,150 | 2,100 |
| Risk, Compliance & Audit | 32 | 85 | 175 |
| Finance & Treasury | 18 | 48 | 95 |
| Marketing, Brand & Customer | 22 | 75 | 150 |
| Branch & Agent Network | 25 | 320 | 950 |
| Executive & Corporate Services | 18 | 62 | 250 |
| Total Headcount | 320 | 2,000 | 4,200 |
Table 7.3 — Headcount build by function.
7.4 Service Levels & Operational KPIs
- Account opening completion: 95% within 4 minutes
(mobile). - Mobile app uptime: 99.95% target; <2 sec login on 4G.
- Contact centre: average answer 25 seconds;
resolution-on-first-call 85%. - Card delivery: 95% within 5 working days of account
opening. - Branch wait time: under 8 minutes 80th-percentile.
- Loan application to disbursement: under 90 seconds for existing
customers.
Confidential — this business plan is provided to prospective investors and lenders for evaluation purposes only and may not be reproduced or distributed without the written consent of NovaBank SA (Pty) Ltd.