What does it take to build for the people who keep South Africa running — security guards, cleaners, miners, manufacturing staff? In this episode of Innovate Africa, Jem HR CEO and Co-founder Simon Ellis explains how the startup is transforming HR and financial access for deskless workers, a group long underserved by traditional systems. 

“We succeed when the deskless employees across the country save money every single month,” Ellis says. Jem uses WhatsApp and payroll deduction to reduce acquisition cost, credit risk, and collection effort — passing those savings straight to workers. Think Sage meets Capitec, but “significantly more user-friendly and affordable,” especially for people earning low wages. 

Watch how Jem HR is digitising HR for employers, putting hundreds of rand back in employees’ pockets, and helping reshape South Africa’s R2 trillion deskless economy.

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