In today’s world of work, the absence of technology, especially in HR, can significantly undermine an organisation’s goals and ambitions. , director of Finance, SeamlessHR, in this interview, said that prioritising financing critical digital infrastructure is important as it serves as an enabler for modern workforce management across businesses of all sizes. He also talked about how SeamlessHR plans to not only provide a robust platform but to manage the HR process end-to-end, ensuring that both organisations and individuals begin to see the HR function differently. brings the excerpts:

HR technology refers to the digital systems and tools used to automate and streamline core human resource processes, ranging from recruitment and onboarding to payroll, performance management, disciplinary procedures, and more.

HR Tech should be viewed as critical digital infrastructure because it supports, enables, and powers modern workforce management across businesses of all sizes, from large corporations to SMEs. At its core, HR tech is a system for intelligence, engagement, and enablement, and its absence can significantly undermine an organisation’s goals and ambitions. This is why it must be seen not just as an administrative tool, but as a strategic enabler.

Traditional HR often focuses on workforce planning or skills mapping, but HR tech takes it further in terms of performance analytics and enabling organisations to drive productivity in more measurable ways.

Just as physical infrastructure, like good roads, enhances productivity by improving mobility, HR tech enhances organisational effectiveness by improving connectivity and decision-making. It enables businesses to scale efficiently and provides the flexibility that has become essential in today’s world, especially post-COVID, as more employees demand adaptable work environments.

Another critical value of HR tech is data. By centralising workforce data, organisations are able to make better decisions, such as designing tailored career paths, identifying skills gaps, and driving employee growth.

From all these reasons, it is clear that HR infrastructure cannot be overlooked. HR tech is just as vital as any other technology or infrastructure that enables the workforce and businesses to thrive in today’s society.

It is clear that many investors, especially those unfamiliar with the African market, tend to underestimate the importance of HR tech, particularly in a country like Nigeria, where poverty and limited access to quality education remain challenges. As a result, many graduates entering the workforce for the first time often lack the requisite skills employers are looking for.

At SeamlessHR, we have made a deliberate decision not only to provide a robust platform but to manage the HR process end-to-end, ensuring that both organisations and individuals begin to see the HR function differently.

In the past, organisations have struggled with challenges like compliance, statutory remittances, and payroll configuration, ensuring the correct deductions and tax calculations. Similarly, performance management used to be another major hurdle for businesses.

What we have done at SeamlessHR is focus on helping businesses manage the complexities of managing different workforces. We approach every aspect of the HR process as a unified experience, not just isolated functions. Our platform is designed to enable seamless management across the entire HR lifecycle. Whether it’s onboarding, performance management, payroll, or compliance, the experience is end-to-end.

Because of this, users often find that once they have tried our platform, there is no desire to return to their previous systems. We have succeeded in not just capturing market share, but also in creating a platform that people genuinely enjoy using, because it brings entire teams on board and elevates their HR processes.

Today, within the markets, I think everybody largely agrees that using SeamlessHR is an experience, and it is an experience worth trying.

For us at SeamlessHR, one of our biggest motivations is developing a product that can stand toe-to-toe with global giants like Oracle or SAP, and that means building a platform capable of serving large enterprises and SMEs.

To achieve this, we have focused on ensuring our platform delivers both affordability and a rich user experience, because we find that SMEs may want to adopt a single module quickly, while larger organisations typically demand full-suite solutions with deeper customisation.

To maintain financial discipline alongside innovation, we closely monitor return on investment for every product enhancement. We don’t believe in building for the sake of building. Each product update or customisation is weighed carefully, ensuring development costs don’t outweigh long-term value. We actively track Research and Development spend, prioritise features based on customer feedback, impact, and remain financially prudent in our decision-making.

Lastly, we never launch new features or pursue expansion without rigorous background checks. Before we commit to development, we assess early adoption potential, customer acquisition costs, and operational impact. If a product improvement won’t enhance customer satisfaction, drive cost savings, or support profitability, we hold off. This helps us save costs and serve customers better.

By taking this approach, we have built a product that scales efficiently across markets and supports both SMEs and large organisations. This disciplined yet innovative mindset is what continues to fuel our growth across Africa.

For investors to recognise HR tech as essential digital infrastructure in Africa’s journey toward inclusive growth, we need a strategic shift in narrative, data availability, and policy alignment.

To begin with, the narrative around HR tech must evolve. It should no longer be seen as just an administrative tool, but as a platform that enables economic mobility and systemic efficiency. With better access to workforce data, it is easier to illustrate how HR tech improves workforce productivity, protects workers’ rights, and supports formal employment structures.

As more employment contracts are formalised through digital systems, we will see greater job creation, youth empowerment, gender equality, and financial inclusion. These are key development indicators that attract investors and developing financial institutions.

HR tech must also be seen as a tool for individual economic empowerment. People want seamless access to information about their pensions, health insurance, performance history, and career progression. Imagine a platform where an employee can log in and instantly view their contributions, benefits, and employment record. This transparency builds trust and drives adoption.

To attract serious investor interest, scalability and policy alignment are critical. When HR platforms show measurable impact, such as improved labour data accuracy and compliance with labour laws, it signals stability and transparency to investors, which will entice them because no investor wants to back a system that cannot demonstrate legal compliance or ROI.

Digitising employee benefits and tax systems can accelerate investment. When employees can easily track their benefits and understand both their obligations and their employers’ responsibilities to the government, it builds a more accountable and efficient labour ecosystem, and investors will also be encouraged to put more funds in that sector.

From a policy standpoint, flexibility is becoming increasingly important. Whether in Nigeria, Kenya, or elsewhere, African talent is actively seeking global opportunities. As such, policies that promote workforce flexibility, such as remote work support, digital contracts, and others, will play a crucial role in driving HR tech adoption because people no longer want to be tied to rigid systems or local-only opportunities.

Digitisation is another critical area. In many African countries, public institutions have yet to fully adopt digitisation. We are seeing that when governments introduce mandatory digitisation programs, particularly those that affect workforce data, payroll, or taxation, it creates a ripple effect where companies will be more encouraged to shift from manual processes to digital solutions, including HR tech platforms.

Integrating HR tech into broader digital public infrastructure, such as labour unions or regulatory bodies, will also accelerate adoption, especially when institutions realise that it helps them work smarter and more transparently.

Within the ecosystem, partnerships are key. At SeamlessHR, we have partnerships with Fintechs and other financial institutions, and we are seeing companies adopt HR tech as well as embedded finance solutions, which we have also introduced.

Education plays an important role as well. We are seeing a better appreciation and adoption of technology across private universities. It is our hope that we will see more adoption of technology across public universities in the next couple of years.

Data standardisation is essential. If we can get to a point where data is securely shared across systems using uniform standards, the entire ecosystem would benefit because it would help in better decision-making.

One of the defining trends we will see across Africa over the next decade is increased workforce mobility, particularly among young people. With Africa’s population being predominantly youthful, the future of work on the continent will be driven by this demographic.

We are entering an era of borderless work. It is no longer unusual for someone to reside in Nigeria but earn a salary from companies in South Africa, the U.S., or the U.K. Likewise, someone can be based in Portugal and work for African organisations. This cross-border workforce dynamic will only intensify.

As this happens, we will see the emergence of a more structured work ecosystem. While currently fragmented, the future of work will demand standardisation, where platforms like SeamlessHR will play a pivotal role in digitising employment records for this new class of digital nomads. People will want to access their complete employment history, benefits, and earnings at the click of a button.

Digital contracts will become increasingly important, enabling workers to access credit, insurance, and pensions more easily. In Africa, there is a growing desire for financial inclusion because people no longer want to wait until retirement to access the value of their labour. They want tools that offer real-time visibility into their finances and unlock economic opportunities such as buying on credit or securing loans.

Youth employment will be driven by data. Governments will increasingly collaborate with private-sector platforms like SeamlessHR to track and support employment, particularly among young people.

We will see the rise of AI-driven solutions that match youth to jobs, internships, and training programs, creating a more intelligent and inclusive labour market. Already, students in African universities are recognising the importance of AI and preparing to be part of this digital shift. The adoption of AI will also improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and deliver stronger returns for both employers and investors.

As workforce mobility grows, so will the demand for transparent payroll systems and real-time compliance tracking. Employees will no longer want to find that their taxes or pension contributions were not remitted properly. On the public sector side, governments across Africa will increase adoption of digital systems. As digitisation accelerates, platforms like SeamlessHR will become trusted data sources for policy-making and labour-related decisions.

HR technology will be a keystone in Africa’s economic transformation. It will unlock youth employment, enhance workforce productivity, strengthen social protection, and empower citizens with real-time access to labour and benefits data. As this ecosystem matures, economies across the continent will grow stronger, and for us at SeamlessHR, we are well-positioned to play a key role towards ensuring that the economic prosperity of the continent is driven through better management of the labour force.