Making healthcare financing accessible to Africa’s workforce.
In a market where healthcare is often paid out-of-pocket and emergencies expose the fragility of financial access, we reimagined what “credit” could look like if embedded directly into care.
The embedded financing rail played a pivotal role in bridging the trust gap between patients and providers, unlocking hospital adoption where credit was previously rejected, while ensuring the workforce has instant access to emergency funds.
FOUNDING STORY
Zuri Health had already launched ZuriCare, the first African digital outpatient service for Corporates and SMEs.
As part of that scheme, the Care Now, Pay Later (CNPL) idea emerged: a financing rail woven into ZuriCare that gives patients instant access to care without the usual financial pressure.
THE CHALLENGE
What started as a simple idea: “let patients pay for their healthcare over time” turned into a puzzle of trust, tech, and timing for both patients and Hospitals alike.
Establishing complete trust wasn’t just important; it was the foundation everything else had to sit on.
STRATEGIC INSIGHT
To make CNPL work, the system had to earn trust on both sides; letting patients pay over time while ensuring providers receive payment immediately.
THE SOLUTION
A seamless financing layer within ZuriCare that lets patients access care instantly while repayments move automatically through payroll
REDUCING DROP-OFF BY SIMPLIFYING FINANCE
Complex financial terms are the #1 cause of funnel drop-off in lending apps. When patients get confused, they don't just avoid loans; they churn out of the care funnel entirely.
THE GOAL
We also embedded loan education directly into the experience with Every interaction designed to reinforce trust and reduce cognitive friction.
When We started talking to hospitals, one thing was clear: no one trusted “instant payment.” Too many promises, too many delays, and too many stories of settlements that never arrived.
SECURING HOSPITAL ADOPTION VIA TRANSPARENCY
To rebuild confidence in the product, I designed "Escrow Guarantee" banners and real-time "Payout Logs" to prove funds are safe, giving hospitals the confidence to accept the payment immediately.
ITERATING ON TRUST
I built the first prototype around a single, trust-defining question: “Has the hospital been paid?”
then extended it with a reconciliation flow that let teams adjust finalized plans while keeping every change transparent.
MAXIMISING ACTIVATION AT THE POINT OF CARE
We maximized activation by embedding financing triggers into high-intent moments of the care journey: Direct link from a doctor, a referral from an admin, or a “Finance Your Care” button on a hospital site to capture demand exactly when urgency is highest.
IMPACT
By placing our focus Squarely on "Engineering Trust", we removed the core blockers preventing the financing product from scaling.
72% Provider Acceptance
hospital rejection was the No.1 blocker to revenue. By implementing "Real-time Payout Logs," we achieved 23% rejection on approved credit plans.
3x Activation Triggers
We moved from a single signup flow to 3 distinct high-intent triggers to capture demand at the exact moment of need.
Reduced Support Overhead
By replacing banking jargon with visual timelines, we minimized confusion-based inquiries, significantly lowering the volume of "How do I pay?" support tickets.
LOOKING FORWARD
While the current design successfully solved for Activation and Trust, the next iteration will focus on Retention.
We are currently establishing baselines to measure if users who finance emergency care once return for preventative checkups within 90 days. The goal is to evolve Zuri CNPL from a "one-off fix" into a recurring health management tool.
By integrating flexible financing, ZuriHealth is breaking barriers to quality healthcare, advancing our mission to democratize access across Africa.
Sycamore.Ng:
Expanding What’s Possible in Finance
Crafting Sycamore’s visual identity to match the boldness of its mission: finance that’s simple, trusted, and empowering for all Nigerians.
