Cellulant, a Nairobi-based pan African payments firm has announced a reorganization that will see 20 percent of its workforce affected as the firm moves towards what it calls a product-led structure.
In an email to its staff the firm announced, “These actions will result in the reorganization of select roles and will impact 20% of our current headcount,” the firm announced adding that the move is part of its new organizational strategy that will see the company enhance its service offerings to evolving customer needs across the 19 countries it operates in.
Launched in Kenya in 2003, Cellulant provides a single API payments platform – Tingg- that enables businesses to collect payments online and offline while allowing anyone to pay from their mobile money, local and international cards, or their bank. The firm had earlier in the year laid off 27 employees from across its African operations.
“We remain cognizant of the ever-dynamic operating environment, influenced by many factors not limited to technological changes, consumer needs and market dynamics,” said Akshay Grover, Chief Executive Officer. “We’re therefore pursuing a leaner product-led strategy to support our scale and increase customer base. We also aim to drive operational efficiency measures to support our growth and operations in multiple geographies.”
Since its launch in Kenya, Cellulant has since grown to become one of the largest pan-African payments companies offering both online and offline payments, with businesses across various sectors such as oil and gas, ride-hailing, e-commerce, travel, logistics, retail, airlines, and fast-moving consumer goods, in its client list.
The fintech, which powers payments for over 1,500 global, regional and local businesses across the continent, is not the first VC-backed fintech to let go of its staff in Kenya or across Africa as Twiga, Copia, Chipper Cash, Sendy, MarketForce among others have done this as markets become increasingly competitive and venture capital becomes elusive.
Cellulant agrees the new strategy is informed by emerging market dynamics, investments in automation, and the recent consolidation of their product offerings in four already successful categories that are anchored by its robust banking, card, and MoMo wallet solutions on its payments platform.
“Cellulant has come a long way to become a leader in the pan-African payments space. Innovation, efficiency, and agility will underpin our narrative over the next few years, and these are the first of critical steps,” Grover said adding that the new implementation of the strategy business shift would entail consolidating essential functions and creating new roles.