In a world of accelerating globalization and remote work, this startup is positioned to make outsourcing more seamless, secure, and efficient—a promising development for African freelancers.

Rafiki, a digital solution specializing in cross-border payments and freelance talent collaboration, is offering a software platform to simplify outsourcing, invoicing, and compliance for freelancers, agencies, and companies, especially in Africa. The startup was founded in 2023 by Greg Cooke and Nicolas Boswell.

"Unlike other embedded finance or invoicing platforms, we’ve focused on multi-party, collaborative invoicing and the associated flow of funds, saving significant time and cost associated with outdated workflows and invoicing we’d previously accepted," said Greg Cooke.

The solution provides a suite of software and services that enables freelancers, agencies, and small businesses to collaborate easily across borders. It includes Rafiki OS, an integrated SaaS platform with financial technology modules like Open Banking, stablecoins, and mobile money. The platform allows for the automated management of payments, invoices, and legal verifications (KYC, KYB) in over 130 countries.

Users can issue multi-party invoices, consolidate contributions from several subcontractors into a single invoice, and execute fast, low-cost cross-border payments. Additionally, Rafiki Talent Services supports freelancers and agencies with a network of vetted senior talent from Africa, the U.K., and the Netherlands. The network is built on a rigorous interview and testing process with a low admission rate to guarantee quality.

The service also offers Contractor of Record (CoR) or Employer of Record (EoR) options, which allow client companies to delegate the administrative and legal management of subcontractors. Using Rafiki, a company or project can outsource tasks to specialists, compile contributions, and then pay each subcontractor through the platform. For African freelancers, this provides an opportunity to access international markets with tools that ease administrative and financial constraints.

Adoni Conrad Quenum