From Consultant to Tech Founder: How HRLeverage Africa’s CEO is Revolutionizing Pan-African Payroll
Seyi Babatunde is defying the stereotype that consultants can’t build successful tech products. The founder of HRLeverage Africa has leveraged his 11-year experience in multinational HR consulting to launch WorkRemits, a new payroll management and cross-border payment platform designed specifically for African markets.
After spending years helping major companies like TikTok and OPay expand their operations across Africa, Babatunde identified a critical gap in the market: the complex challenge of managing multi-country payroll operations on the continent.
“Companies claim to offer solutions, but in practice, they don’t deliver,” Babatunde explained, reflecting on his team’s frustrations with existing payroll systems. This firsthand experience led to the development of WorkRemits, which emerged from HRLeverage Africa’s extensive operations across 13 African nations.
The journey began in 2014 when Babatunde and co-founder Dan Adegoke launched HRLeverage Africa from a modest co-working space in Allen, Ikeja, Lagos. What started as a side hustle quickly evolved into a comprehensive HR service provider with a continental footprint. The company’s breakthrough came with landing OPay as a client just before the COVID-19 pandemic, which opened doors to other multinational clients.
WorkRemits enters a competitive market that includes well-funded players like PaidHR, which recently raised $1.5 million in June 2025 and offers salary payments in 49 currencies, and SeamlessHR, which has secured $25 million in funding. However, Babatunde believes WorkRemits’ competitive advantage lies in HRLeverage Africa’s established presence and deep understanding of compliance requirements across multiple African jurisdictions.
While WorkRemits is currently in pre-launch phase and internally funded, it already has active clients using its payroll processing services. The platform benefits from HRLeverage Africa’s physical presence in countries including Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, and Rwanda.
The venture challenges Jen Heinz’s observation that “Too many consultants bring frameworks instead of solutions.” Babatunde’s transition from consultant to tech founder demonstrates that industry expertise, when combined with entrepreneurial drive, can produce practical solutions to real-world problems.
As WorkRemits prepares for its official launch, Babatunde’s dual experience as both consultant and HR expert positions the platform to potentially reshape how companies manage their pan-African payroll operations. “I’ve spent years hiring the best people and keeping clients happy,” he noted. “That experience is what gives us an edge.
