Rafiki: Empowering Africa’s Freelance Workforce Through Trust, Tech, and Borderless Payments

PIC CAPTION: Greg Cooke, co-founder of Rafiki, a Cape Town–based startup building a borderless fintech platform empowering Africa’s freelance workforce to collaborate, bill, and get paid seamlessly across the continent. Image: Supplied / Rafiki

AfricArena’s Mandilakhe Somdle sat down with Greg Cooke, co-founder of Rafiki, to discuss the journey of building a platform that not only champions Africa’s freelance talent but also redefines how flexible teams get paid across borders.

Building Trust in African Talent

For Greg Cooke and his co-founder Nick Boswell, Rafiki began as a simple recruitment service for remote software talent while they were based in the UK. But as the world shifted toward flexible work, they saw a much bigger opportunity, to empower Africa’s top freelancers by giving them the infrastructure they deserve.

“Prejudice against African talent has always been a challenge,” Greg explains. “Our mission is to build trust, showcase quality, and enable Africa’s senior independent talent to thrive on a global stage.”

Rafiki’s model focuses on empowering senior talent first, equipping them with best-in-class fintech tools and collaboration features, and encouraging them to mentor and build teams underneath them. This approach not only drives inclusion but also creates a ripple effect, growing the freelance ecosystem from the top down.

A FinTech Built for the Future of Work

As Rafiki grew, the team faced a recurring obstacle: payments. Getting money in and out of Africa was expensive, slow, and unreliable. After testing over 30 different platforms with little success, Greg and Nick decided to build their own solution.

By leveraging Open Banking, crypto, and chat-based collaboration tools, Rafiki is developing a FinTech designed specifically for flexible, distributed teams, making it easier for freelancers to bill, get paid, and manage their work seamlessly.

“We’re building something fast, simple, and borderless,” Greg says. “Our platform allows global businesses to collaborate effortlessly with African teams, no more payment bottlenecks or administrative chaos.”

The Moment That Sparked the Pivot

Rafiki’s defining moment came when freelancers using their platform began referring their own clients, asking for help managing projects, teams, and payments.

“Supply started driving demand,” Greg recalls. “We realized the problem wasn’t just talent matching, it was infrastructure. The tools built for freelancers were either enterprise-grade, overly complex, or designed for one-on-one work. Africa needed something tailored to its realities, scalable, affordable, and flexible.”

That insight led to Rafiki’s pivot in late 2024, transforming from a managed freelancer service into a modern FinTech platform built for Africa’s growing freelance economy.

Rising Above Challenges

Like many African startups, Rafiki has faced its share of challenges, particularly when it comes to funding.

“International investors are interested but cautious. Local investors, on the other hand, are often difficult to reach or unresponsive,” says Greg. “That’s been disappointing, but it’s also motivating. We know the opportunity is real, it’s just about proving it.”

Despite this, Rafiki has remained resilient, raising around £130,000 through angels, grants, and accelerator programs. The startup is currently raising USD 500,000 to fast-track product development, strengthen go-to-market efforts, and build customer success resources.

A Vision for 2030 and Beyond

By 2030, Rafiki aims to empower previously disconnected workforces across Africa to earn over £10 million through accessible, borderless payments and flexible work opportunities.

Their impact will be measured not just by revenue but by the number of jobs created, both directly and indirectly, through their fintech rails.

Greg sums up his philosophy simply:

“We’re building something that lets African talent connect, collaborate, and get paid, anywhere, anytime. It’s about unlocking opportunities at scale.”

Words of Wisdom for Founders

Greg’s advice to young Africans building in the digital and fintech sectors is deeply rooted in resilience and self-belief:

“Back yourself, hard. Block out the noise. Everyone will have something to say, but no one knows your vision better than you. You’ll constantly battle between belief and doubt, success lies in staying the course, even through uncertainty.”

He also emphasizes balance:

“This journey is a marathon. Learn to switch off sometimes, you can’t build for the long run while burning out.”

A movement

Rafiki is more than a platform, it’s a movement toward a borderless Africa, where talented individuals can work, collaborate, and thrive without barriers. By combining fintech innovation with trust and inclusion, Greg and his team are helping redefine the future of work on the continent, one payment, one project, and one partnership at a time.

Discover more from Rafiki at www.rafiki.works/

Explore African startup stories at africarena.com