Inclusive
Inclusive Payroll for 70M+ domestic Workers Across Africa
Overview
Challenge
The informal nature of domestic work in Africa created several pain points: irregular payments, lack of access to financial services, and absence of benefits that formal sector employees enjoy. The challenge was to create a solution that would work for both employers (households) and domestic staff, while considering varying levels of tech literacy and the complexities of payment systems across different African markets.
Solution
Leading from ideation to execution, I oversaw the design & development of a mobile platform that would make managing domestic staff payments as easy as sending a text message. I managed the design and technical architecture, conducted code reviews, and guided the team through rapid development cycles. We built a comprehensive system with a streamlined onboarding process for all users, secure payment infrastructure across multiple African countries, a robust benefits management system for insurance, savings, and loans, and a user-friendly mobile interface designed for varying levels of tech literacy. What made this project particularly exciting was that we were building something entirely new. There wasn't a blueprint to follow, which meant we had to be creative in our approach while ensuring robust technical implementation.
Outcomes
In just eight weeks, we went from concept to launch, and the results have been remarkable. We've processed over $950,000 in transactions across four markets (Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya & Rwanda), onboarded 2,000+ domestic staff, and served 800+ households. I'm particularly proud of how we handled the design and technical challenges like payment integration across multiple markets and built a scalable system that could handle growing transaction volumes. We've created a foundation that can support millions of domestic workers across Africa, giving them access to formal financial services, many for the first time.
