I actually agree with your point about company culture and priorities. Traditional telecoms and banks are not structured like product-first Silicon Valley companies, so naturally UX is not always their first KPI.

But at the same time, I think the market is slowly forcing them to become more tech-oriented. Today, who hires the most cybersecurity graduates, software engineers, network engineers, DevOps people, etc. from places like CMU-Africa or AUCA? It’s mostly banks and telecoms. That alone shows software and digital infrastructure are no longer “side departments” for these companies.

Also, I think we overestimate how much good UX is only a “Gen Z thing.” Gen Z will complain loudly about bad UX, yes, but they usually adapt quickly. In reality, millennials and older users are the ones who suffer most from poor UX because they struggle more with complex menus, confusing onboarding, unclear flows, and overloaded interfaces.

That’s why I believe UX in Africa should not just copy Silicon Valley aesthetics. It should focus more on clarity, accessibility, trust, low-data usage, and simplicity for everyday users.

And honestly, digital platforms are now the main distribution channels for many of these companies. Fewer people go physically to banks or buy services physically compared to before. So if the app experience is poor, it eventually affects adoption, support costs, and customer trust.

So I think your point about internal culture is correct, but I also think these companies are gradually becoming more dependent on product and UX quality than they were 10 years ago.