• AskMandla uses WhatsApp-based tools to help South African households manage domestic worker contracts, payroll, UIF registrations and leave tracking.
• The platform targets South Africa’s 1.6 million domestic workers, many of whom remain outside the formal economy and social protection systems.
• AskMandla aims to create formal financial identities for workers and improve access to banking services and earned wage access products.

South African startup AskMandla is using WhatsApp and artificial intelligence to formalize domestic employment by helping households manage administrative and labor compliance processes through a platform embedded within the messaging application.

The company seeks to simplify access to digital services for populations that remain underserved by traditional platforms and continue to face administrative barriers.

Based in Stellenbosch, AskMandla launched in 2025 under the leadership of founder and Chief Executive Officer Peter Adolphs. The startup develops digital tools that allow household employers to manage employment contracts, payroll records, administrative filings and salary tracking directly through WhatsApp.

AskMandla targets South Africa’s estimated 1.6 million domestic workers, many of whom continue to work without formal contracts, documented employment histories or access to conventional social protection mechanisms.

The platform converts administrative procedures that often require extensive paperwork into WhatsApp-based conversations. Employers can generate contracts that comply with South African labor regulations, manage registrations with the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), create digital payslips and monitor employee leave records.

“The existing fintech infrastructure for low-income South African workers is actually very good. But it stops at the door of the formal employer,” said Ean Barnard, head of growth at AskMandla.

“AskMandla is the gateway that allows the domestic worker to cross that threshold. Once we formalize the relationship through a contract, UIF registration and a monthly payslip, that worker becomes visible within the formal financial system for the first time,” he added.

For domestic workers, the platform’s primary objective extends beyond employment administration. AskMandla seeks to create formal financial identities by generating payslips and employment records that workers can use as proof of income when applying for banking products or dealing with other financial institutions.

In addition, the startup offers an Earned Wage Access service that allows workers to access a portion of wages they have already earned before their scheduled payday. The company relies on a “WhatsApp-first” model, which management views as better aligned with local user behavior than conventional mobile applications. Users do not need to download additional software, a strategic choice in a market where WhatsApp often serves as the primary gateway to digital services.

Beyond human resources management, AskMandla reflects a broader trend among African startups that seek to formalize large segments of the informal economy through digital technologies. In South Africa, the domestic employment sector generates several billion rand in economic activity each year. Consequently, greater digitalization of the sector could strengthen both financial inclusion and social protection for domestic workers while improving compliance for employers.

This article was initially published in French by Adoni Conrad Quenum

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum