BRAND GUIDE
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Use Guide
From our first meeting with Kai Connect, the brief was clear, and the mission exciting. Grow and refine the brand to reflect new priorities, a unique model, and a growing reputation in the financial services and impact community. Together we shaped a visual and verbal system that feels fresh, unconsciously South African, and purposefully restrained.
The visual language is simple and consistent. Primary colours with a rich white and a smokey black to support a minimalist, and distinct expression. Classic stripes and a small set of geometric shapes – circles and squares – balance energy and control. We draw inspiration from modernism and the Bauhaus movement and use animation to infuse a sense forward motion. The result is hopefully a brand that stands out while remaining rooted and enduring.
This guide is a practical reference to Kai Connect’s visual identity. Use the navigation menu to explore the content and follow links to download assets.
The Pitch
THROUGH INNOVATIVE CAPITAL STRATEGIES AND ACTIVE PARTNERSHIPS, KAI BUILDS RESILIENT BUSINESSES THAT STRENGTHEN INDUSTRIES, EXPAND OPPORTUNITY, AND CREATE LASTING PROSPERITY FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES, AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.
Values
- AFRO-CONFIDENT
- SINCERE
- MEASURED
- BRAVE
- VISIONARY
The Kai Connect brand has growing recognition, so we kept the existing logo, but made a few tweaks to ensure its longevity. We sharpened the letterforms and lightened “Connect” so KAI reads as the lead brand.
The system limits colourways and defines clear space, minimum sizes, and placement rules for consistent use. We created descriptor lockups for Kai-led initiatives and partnership lockups for programmes managed or supported by Kai. For digital and video, we developed short logo reveals to express at Kai’s dynamism and energy.
Logo Lockup
Typography
Bold headlines to set the pace and universal body for story and detail. Headings use Outfit and body uses Source Sans 3. Both are Google Fonts to reliable access and versatility across platforms.
Maximum two weights per page/screen, sentence case for main headings, and spacing/line-height on the 8-pt rhythm.
Colour Palette
The palette is considered and bold. Smokey black and rich white do most of the work. Blue and red act as accents for emphasis, data points, and highlights. Do not use red for body text. Where possible, limit each page or screen to two colours.
Custom Icons
We designed functional and versatile icons for the brand refresh. Each uses simple geometry and clean cut-outs to stay clear at any size. The set covers contact details, value-proposition symbols, and bullets.
Patterns
Simple and pared-back, the pattern set adds vibrance without noise. Built from vertical stripes and circles, it should use no more than two colours, give type generous clear space, and never sit behind small text. Use low opacity for large fills, and reserve bolder treatments for social and video transitions or highlights.
Charts and Infographics
Minimalist and easy to understand at a glance. Place every element on the grid and lead with large numbers and clear data points. Set all data with tabular lining figures. Use motion to reveal and clarify. See the infographic on Kai’s impact and capital model for the format to follow.
Image Use and Treatment
The Kai is living, vibrant and transparent. Use wide-angle nature and city scenes that are unmistakably South African or African, people in motion outdoors, and unposed shots of the Kai team and portfolio businesses.
Avoid heavy filters; apply only light vibrance and clarity adjustments. Images should feel natural, open, and connected to real work and places.
