How Our Clients Use Our Local Networks to Settle In
To expand, or not to expand, that is the question many businesses endlessly go back on forth on.
In Africa, where the opportunities are many and the landscapes are diverse, success hinges not only on full compliance and timely payroll, but also very much on how quickly you and your people can truly settle in – as opposed to merely expanding.
At Africa HR Solutions, we don’t just help you onboard talent across the continent. We make sure your teams feel at home, whether you are growing in Nigeria, Madagascar, South Africa, Eswatini, or in one of the other 42+ African countries we serve.
Here’s how our clients use our extensive local networks to hit the ground running in African markets:
1. Smooth onboarding
Beyond the paperwork (which is certainly not negligible, and has a habit of endlessly coming back), onboarding is about people. Our in-country experts not only ensure that every employee is compliantly onboarded, but they also see to it that each one gets a personal touch: from welcome briefings to cultural orientation and guidance on local norms for expatriate workers, all the way to a company culture briefing for all workers, both local and expatriate. Whether it’s a new sales manager in Nairobi or a remote developer in Accra, they know exactly what to expect, and who to call when questions arise.
“Our team in Lagos didn’t feel like they were starting from scratch. They didn’t struggle with the issues we feared they would face, like the unfamiliarity with local rules and customs. They felt like someone had already paved the road for them,” said one client in the fintech sector.
2. Navigating global business needs with local insights
We help with every need from A to Z: from finding housing that suits your budgets and needs, sourcing equipment, to understanding transportation options, and even finding the best local SIM card provider. We take care of the largest issues to the smallest matters, being true local experts. Our clients often describe this as the “difference between living and thriving.”
3. Established relationships
Relationships take years to build and effort to maintain. “You have to build relationships with people in these democracies. Africa is not, generally speaking, a place you can […] walk in, be all business, and walk out.” Reminds Nana Frimpong, Chief Operating Officer at Social Impact Inc., and member of the Africa HR Solutions Advisory Committee.
“A lot of times and in specific countries, building a relationship, building some level of rapport with the people that are helping you can be the 180° difference between having your paper sit at the bottom of a pile somewhere to just having it move along the process as smoothly as possible.”
Because we have taken the time and care to build these relationships, our clients benefit from them from Day 1 of choosing us as their Employer of Record (EOR) in Africa. This means smooth-running processes, as well as a general and mutual goodwill to get business thriving.
4. Employee retention & cultural understanding
Employee retention is about more than just offering a good salary that meets or exceeds industry standards in Africa. Our local teams, with their years of experience working in local African markets, can advise clients on everything ranging from competitive employee benefits to national holidays, workplace culture, and employee engagement strategies that actually work in that specific African country, and not just on paper. We localise every possible aspect of business expansion to make sure that your local team members feel seen and understood.
In this way, your operations run smoothly, employee satisfaction and retention go up, and you can focus fully on your core business, safe in the knowledge that your team is taken care of.
A human-first African EOR model
We believe that settling in properly, with all due respect to local customs is a strategic advantage. When employees feel supported and seen, they perform better, stay longer, and represent your brand with pride.
If you’re planning to expand into Africa or are already here but need a better partner on the ground, we would love to talk with you and show you how our local networks can become your greatest asset.
About Africa HR Solutions
Africa HR Solutions is Africa’s largest local Employer of Record (EOR), and we are exclusively focused on Africa. We have been supporting listed multinationals, PE & VC-backed companies, international development organisations, global NGOs and international non-profits in 46 African countries and across 20 different industries for over 15 years now.
We offer truly comprehensive solutions: from employer of record solutions, payroll outsourcing, immigration and work permit support, employee benefits procurement, together with a range of in-country ancillary services.
