Nigerian based Human Resource (HR) and payroll technology company SeamlessHR has tapped Kenya for its East African market subsidiary launch.
The tech startup by launching its operations in the country, seeks to help businesses in emerging markets increase their productivity by deploying technology solutions that helps businesses automate their employees’ lifecycle processes from hiring point through to exit.
Speaking during the launch, SeamlessHR co-founder and CEO, Emmanuel Okeleji said the Kenya office will serve the entire East African region as it sets its eyes on Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo as well as Ethiopia.
“Kenya is very tech-forward and is punching above its weight in tech and we want to leverage that. There is huge demand for business automation in the continent, a reason to our expansion drive,” Okeleji said.
He further notes that Kenyan companies are still handling most HR practices manually despite their associated risks even as the world is shifting to digitisation.
This is mirrored in a report by Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) which shows that about 7.4 million Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya are struggling to manage human resources.
“Traditional, manual payroll processing has a high threshold for error which increases employee stress and reduces morale. We have seen these errors especially in payroll due to the repetitive tasks required when manually inputting payroll information,” Okeleji said.
The move to set base in the country in expansion bid comes after the firm raised $10 million (Sh1.2 trillion) in series of funding for its next phase of growth and regional expansion.
It is next targeting South Africa, with plans to open an office in the first quarter of 2023.
SeamlessHR offers various products ranging from an HR management system, performance and competency management, HR analytics, leave management, payroll management and recruitment management.
