NAIROBI, Kenya, June 4 – Technology-driven financial services embedded within workplace systems are emerging as a powerful lever to improve workforce productivity, operational efficiency, and employee well-being. This was the key message from a high-level executive roundtable hosted by HR tech firm SeamlessHR in Nairobi on Tuesday.
Held under the theme “Scaling Business Performance: Strengthening Operational Sustainability and Workforce Productivity,” the event convened C-suite executives across agriculture, manufacturing, private security, and outsourcing sectors to explore new approaches to enhancing performance in today’s economic climate.
A central focus of the discussions was embedded finance—the integration of financial services like salary advances, savings tools, and loans directly into human resource platforms. By removing the need for external financial institutions, embedded finance solutions streamline access to liquidity and help mitigate common workforce challenges such as absenteeism and financial stress.
Lynn Eisenhart, Deputy Director at the Gates Foundation’s Strategic Investment Fund, underscored the development potential of this approach. “We’re investing heavily in Africa over the next 20 years. Our partnership with SeamlessHR allows us to extend financial services to business-critical, often overlooked, segments of the workforce,” she said.
Victor Komu, Human Resources Director at Gardaworld Africa (formerly KK Security), noted that financial instability among low-income workers often leads to absenteeism, which disrupts operations. “SeamlessHR’s embedded finance tools improve employee stability and retention, helping us maintain productivity in a labour-intensive industry,” he said.
According to Deji Lana, CTO and Co-founder of SeamlessHR, tools like Earned Wage Access—where workers can access wages for days already worked—are shifting how companies engage and support staff. “Many blue-collar workers are underbanked. By embedding these services directly into HR systems, employers are offering real financial inclusion and improving workforce performance,” he said.
The roundtable closed with calls for business leaders to adopt integrated, tech-driven strategies that serve both financial inclusion and commercial goals. With organisations increasingly looking for innovative ways to retain talent and stay competitive, embedded finance is gaining ground as a practical solution.
