Zepz, the Group powering global remittance brands WorldRemit and Sendwave, has announced it will reduce the size of its workforce to centralise areas of expertise across the organisation.
This change will impact 420 employees globally, even as the company committed to its market offerings in Kenya.
According to CEO Mark Lenhard, the decision was an important and necessary step in transitioning from two vast, segmented teams to one dynamic organisation under Zepz, and laying ambitious foundations towards the group's long-term strategic direction as a portfolio business.
"Our organisation will be strongly aligned to an efficient approach to growth and scalability, enabling us to expand our footprint as a category innovator and a global FinTech industry leader," Lenhard said.
The company has shown consistent and strong growth throughout its history, including achieving operating profitability last year.
New customer growth continues to accelerate to 30 per cent overall, and up to 80 per cent in certain areas of Zepz, proving the impact and scalability of Zepz’s value proposition globally.
World Remit reaches over 5,000 money transfer corridors, including emerging markets with high barriers to entry, establishing digital connectivity into geographies that had previously been underserved.
"As an employer in Kenya and remittance provider that has enabled billions to be sent into the country over the last decade, we remain as committed as ever to delivering effective product offerings to Kenyans," Lenhard said.
The firm has one of the largest market shares as a remittance provider in Kenya, which it believes could grow further.
President William Ruto has indicated the government's intentions to drive an aggressive global job hunt for Kenyans, in a plan that would grow diaspora remittances to supplement local resources.
The President targets to grow annual remittances from the average Sh540 billion to a trillion shillings.
"We are just scratching the surface and see many paths to growth in the region. As we continue to optimise our geo-strategy, we believe these changes will have a positive impact on the customer experience," Lenhard said.
"We understand the great impact remittances have on the nation and are committed to offering safe, reliable services to the people of this country," he assured the Kenyan market.
He said the group remains focused in operating with a more focused outlook, continuously innovating offerings.
Looking ahead, Zepz is keen to implement more dynamic customer growth strategies, management says, with mergers and acquisitions , talent collaboration, integration and as necessary, consolidation.
It plans to extend Zepz’s services through WorldRemit and SendWave to over 30 additional countries in 2023.
