Project

Watu Website

Watu Credit required a new website that could support both its existing markets and future expansion. As the business entered new regions and introduced new products, the previous website no longer provided the flexibility or structure needed to keep pace. While updating the existing platform was initially considered, it became clear that rebuilding from the ground up would provide a stronger long-term solution.

Client

Watu Credit

Timeline

Aug 2024 — Dec 2025

URL

https://watu.com

Services

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Goals

The goal was to create a scalable multi-market website that could support Watu’s growth while remaining easy for internal teams to manage. The platform needed to maintain consistency across markets, accommodate product and regional differences, and give country managers a straightforward way to update local content without relying on page builders, code or central technical support. A key consideration was that the website would primarily be accessed across sub-Saharan Africa, so performance and accessibility were central to the design and build process. This meant taking particular care with optimisation decisions, including the choice and treatment of typography, imagery and other media, to ensure the site remained fast, usable and effective across a range of devices and connection speeds.

Approach

My approach focused on building a flexible system that balanced centralised brand consistency with decentralised content management. I implemented a design system to ensure a consistent visual and structural framework across the site, while allowing different markets to manage their own product-specific details within clearly defined boundaries. The website was built using WordPress and Elementor, supported by a custom plugin developed specifically for handling market-specific data and workflows. This included a permission system that restricted editing access to the relevant country managers, along with structured data management to reduce the risk of outdated information appearing on the site. Particular attention was given to content that changes over time, such as phone numbers, legal policies and conversion funnels, ensuring updates could be made efficiently and accurately without affecting unrelated markets.

Deliverables

I delivered a new multi-market WordPress website for Watu Credit, built with Elementor and supported by a custom backend and plugin architecture. This included a design system for consistency, tools for managing market-specific product data, role-based permissions for country managers, and a robust content management structure designed to minimise stale or outdated information. Alongside the website build itself, I worked with Watu’s Head of IT to help select and deploy a new hosting environment, ensuring the platform had the right infrastructure to support performance, reliability and future growth. I also helped optimise content delivery through Cloudflare, improving the delivery of site assets for users across the company’s target markets.

Outcomes

The final website gave Watu a scalable and practical platform that could grow alongside the business and adapt to the needs of different markets. Internal teams were able to manage their own areas of responsibility with minimal onboarding, making it easier for users of varying technical skill levels to keep content accurate and up to date. The result was a more resilient and maintainable website that better supported both operational efficiency and ongoing expansion.
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