In its first year, AskMandla processed over R5 million in salaries for domestic workers, issued nearly 1,000 payslips, and kept its churn rate under 2%. Along the way we launched Earned Wage Access (EWA), so workers can reach the wages they have already earned before payday. This is a look back at what we learned, why we changed direction, and where we are going next.
Where AskMandla started
We launched AskMandla on Workers' Day. Choosing that date felt right at the time, and looking back it fits our purpose even better than we realised.
Our first goal was to build a compliance tool. We focused on HR workflows, employment contracts, and payroll, the basic systems that domestic workers and their employers have long needed but often lacked. The plan was to build this infrastructure, formalise employment relationships, and help everyone follow the law.
That approach was a good start, but it was not the full picture.
Why we launched Earned Wage Access
Again and again, workers told us something simple and urgent. They needed access to money they had already earned. Not a loan or credit, but their own wages, available mid-month before payday. This was for essentials like groceries or school shoes. Without a credit card or help from family, a cash shortfall could mean turning to a loan shark.
That feedback changed the direction of our company.
We launched Earned Wage Access (EWA) on 9 April. Since then we have averaged about one transaction a day. A worker chats with Mandla on WhatsApp, requests an advance on their earned wages, and receives the money in their account within 24 hours. Our fees are clear and set upfront before any transaction, and they are matched to our customers' income levels. There are no hidden charges or surprises.
Built for WhatsApp
To understand how we got here, it helps to look back further than the past year.
AskMandla grew out of Shesha-LawZA, a platform created by Janine Kane-Berman, our Chief Legal Officer, who knows South African domestic labour law better than almost anyone. Shesha gave domestic workers and employers access to contracts, compliance guidance, and HR tools through an app. The idea worked, but the delivery method was a challenge. Apps are costly to build, hard to maintain, and they need people to download them and keep coming back. Domestic workers are not at desks. They use WhatsApp.
So we rebuilt the platform to work on WhatsApp first, making it conversational and removing the need for an app. Now, if a worker has a dispute with their employer at 8pm on a Thursday, they can chat with Mandla and get guidance that follows the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) right away. There is no call centre, no waiting, and no cost to get the guidance.
Our first-year numbers
Our first-year numbers tell part of the story. We have processed over R5 million in salaries for domestic workers and issued nearly 1,000 payslips. Our churn rate is under 2%. That low churn matters to us. It shows that people stay because the product works for them, and not because we make it hard to leave.
Why payslips matter most
The payslips are what I am most proud of. A payslip is more than a piece of paper. For a domestic worker who has gone years without a contract, without UIF on record, and without documented income, a monthly payslip is proof of employment. It is what you show a bank when you apply for credit, or an insurer. It is the first step toward financial inclusion in a country where millions have been shut out of formal financial systems simply because their jobs were never officially recorded.
That is what formalising these relationships really means. Beyond helping employers avoid fines for non-compliance, we are giving workers a documented economic identity, and that opens the door to real financial products. EWA is just the start. Savings products, insurance, and healthcare access are on the way. We are already hearing from workers who want to save R500 or R600 a month for year-end. That kind of saving is a real step toward financial agency.
A for-profit business with fair pricing
We are a for-profit business, and I want to be clear about that. Sometimes an impact story lets companies avoid building sustainable economics. We charge for our services. The compliance and payroll platform runs on a subscription fee, and EWA has a clear fee structure. Future financial products will also be priced fairly. We will not hide costs, lock people into confusing products, or charge unfair fees.
Our team
Our team deserves the credit for getting us here. Janine built the legal and operational foundation. Stephan created the technology. Ean is building our growth engine. Given supports our customers every day. Tech Pete, Keren, and everyone who invested their time and money made this possible. Our shareholders believed in us before we had results. This company is a team effort.
Why this work matters to me
I also want to share why I am personally committed to this work. I love South Africa. I want to live here, and I want my children to grow up here. That means facing tough challenges like unemployment, inequality, and the gap between formal and informal economic participation that leaves millions without basic financial infrastructure.
AskMandla is one solution to part of that problem. It is not the whole answer, but it is a real one, built for the people who need it, on the platform they already use, with products designed for their lives.
In our first year we have processed R5 million in salaries and launched EWA, and we are just getting started.
To every domestic worker who trusted us with their payroll this year, this is for you.