“Keeping all our Colleagues connected to our brand used to keep us up at night. We have 10,000+ colleagues across hundreds of client sites nationally, and most of them have never had a company email address. So we would send something out and just hope it was cascaded and hopefully landed. That changed with Servest eYethu platform powered by Jem. It’s our own branded platform on WhatsApp where most of our people already are. Weeks into our launch we had 90% of our 10,000+ team registered. Now we use the platform to live our CARE values every day: Customer focus, Accountability, Respect, Excellence. We run surveys and real time consistent segmented comms through it, pull and push personal documents and other services, and for the first time we can actually see who received it and who responded or engaged us further. For a People Team responsible for this many people, that visibility is something we’ve never had before. It’s been a total game-changer.”
Lerato Ndoro
CPO, Servest
“Jem has the most passionate bunch of exceptional humans. I love working with all of them - they are so committed to building a mutual partnership. Their product continues to get better, and our employees get so much value every day. Highly recommend working with them.”
Robyn Talbot
Chief People Officer, Response BPO
“This product has saved us a lot of time and money but the main benefit I have seen is actually being able to connect with our employees.”
Nicole Hart
Finance and Ops Manager, Prosec
“Most deskbound employees (including Jem’s internal teams) live on foundations built by deskless employees. The more involved you become, the more you realise how true this is: our morning coffee, clean streets, security, the food we buy. You also confront the harsh realities these workers face daily. This understanding of both sides deepens why building technology for this workforce matters.”
Dani Lifschitz
Head of People, Jem
“What drew me to Jem was the debt our store teams were carrying, and how much of it came to work with them. Earned Wage Access gives our people a way to draw a portion of the pay they have already earned, instead of borrowing at a cost they cannot afford. All of our employees already use WhatsApp, so there was nothing new for anyone to learn. Our executive team visited Jem in Cape Town to see how they work, which is not something we do with many of our suppliers. They are a South African partner solving a South African problem, and they do it well.”
Nthabiseng Thaba
HR Director, Leroy Merlin
“Before Jem, we processed 80 staff loans a month. It was an admin nightmare. Now, we just send our employees to Jem when they are under financial stress.”
Leana Pretorius
Senior Payroll Partner, Mukuru
“Working with Jem has been a great experience, particularly in terms of the support and service we have received from their team. They have been incredibly responsive, helpful and always willing to assist whenever we have questions or require guidance. Jem provides our employees with greater flexibility and access to their earned salary when they need it, which we believe adds real value as an employee benefit. We have really appreciated the partnership we have built with the Jem team and the level of support they continue to provide. We are also very excited about the opportunity to engage with Jem further and explore more of the value-added services they offer, as we continue to look for ways to enhance the value we provide to our employees.”
Michelle Reddy
Group Payroll Manager, Beier Group
“Our cleaners work across client sites so communicating has always been a challenge. Previously, information often had to go through a supervisor, and we had no real way of knowing how many employees had actually received it. Jem has changed that. The Hub is user-friendly and allows us to communicate directly with our employees through WhatsApp. We have achieved over 90% employee registration, which is something we honestly did not expect so early. What has been particularly valuable for us is the statistics and reporting, which allow us to see how many employees have been reached and engaged with our communications.”
Debbie Stanbury
CEO, Kusasa Cleaning
“I love Jem. We went from 100+ payslip queries every month to less than 2. The convenience is just great and our employees love it.”
Nwabisa Mtonana
Payroll Administrator, Ceramic Industries
“Jem is just so close to my heart. I’ve been talking about Jem at every opportunity I have, social events, wherever I am. When I think about my employees it’s not just 5,500 people, it’s 50,000 people. Jem has transformed the lives of not just Meridian employees, but their extended families.”
Karen Hammond
Group Head of People, Meridian
“My favourite part of working at Jem is meeting our users everywhere I go and getting real feedback. Getting a coffee at Plato, entering my complex guarded by CAP, or picking up lunch at KFC. It’s speaking to those people and seeing the smiles on their faces when I tell them where I work.”
Kirsty Rautenbach
Senior SDR, Jem
“I can’t wait to see what Jem does in five years’ time. Jem has transformed the way we operate and the way we think at Tiger Wheel & Tyre and Wheel Collision. I love working with the Jem team and their incredible products. They have made connecting, managing, and rewarding our workforce that much easier. We are excited to continue to work with them.”
Nerina Jordaan
Human Capital Executive, TiAuto
“Jem has rocked our world in our HR department. What used to take a great deal of time now takes a tenth of that — issuing payslips literally takes a few minutes per month.”
Roxanne van Eck
Group HR Manager, DoubleTree by Hilton
“This was easily the most productive two hours we’ve had on AI in the last 12 months. They showed us practical examples of how to implement AI, but the biggest win was the curiosity it sparked in our team. It’s triggered them to go off and try AI in all kinds of other ways. Couldn’t recommend them high enough.”
Carmen Dell
Co-Founder & Director, Finance Studio
“From day one, Jem has felt like more than just a service provider, they’re a genuine partner in how we look after our people. Our teams are spread across sites and hard to reach through traditional channels, but Jem’s platform has made it simple to connect with, manage, and reward our workforce in a way that actually works for them. The team is responsive, innovative, and always thinking about what’s next. I can’t recommend Jem highly enough to any organisation serious about supporting a deskless workforce.”
Cynthia Mkhombo
CEO, Masana
“What we do every day matters to me because I’m in the trenches with employers every day, and I love seeing our solutions actually solve their problems and set them up for success. What keeps me going is how fast we’re able to touch the lives of deskless workers and seeing the excitement in their eyes when they’ve accessed their payslip on WhatsApp for the first time. Our product has real impact, and that’s hard to walk away from.”
Nabeelah Goosen
Senior Customer Success Manager, Jem
“You are buying more than just some technology. You are buying a team that cares, a product that works, and people who want to make a difference to your workforce. I really like what Jem is doing and can’t wait to see what they do in the future. This is easily one of the most innovative companies I’ve come across.”
Alex Taplin
CEO, TiAuto
“Jem helped our company streamline the payroll process and improve how we communicate with our employees in a cost-effective way. Our employees love it and so do we!”
Charlene Adolph
Head of HR, Frankwen Forge
“We love the Jem Team and the Jem product. Implementation was seamless, and the turnaround exceeded our expectations. Earned Wage Access has been exceptionally well received, and our employees love getting payslips and leave information straight through WhatsApp, on a platform they already use every day. We’d confidently recommend Jem to any organisation looking to modernise payroll and employee engagement.”
Rudolph Jansen van Vuuren
Group Payroll Manager, Clothing Junction
“The biggest thing about Jem is that our staff love it - it’s easy to register, intuitive to use, and genuinely helps them save money. It’s been instrumental to our KFCs: our HR and Ops teams have materially improved their processes, and we’re always early adopters of Jem’s new solutions because they build things that actually work for our environment.”
Chris Lister-James
CEO, KFC Albimix
“Here is a team willing to go above and beyond. We knew from the first time we met the Jem team that we wanted to work with them, but what they have delivered is far more than what we had asked for. Our staff really like the product because of its ease of use, and they are building more and more products that are suitable for a deskless workforce like ours. I can’t recommend the Jem team highly enough.”
Matt Briscoe
CFO, Marshall Security
“Jem gives our employees the dignity to not have to divulge their financial situation to their managers. It provides them with access to funds in a controlled environment.”
Malcolm Smith
CFO, Retailability
“We’ve sat through plenty of AI talks. This was the first one that left our leadership team both energised and equipped with practical next steps.”
Bevan Ducasse
Co-Founder & CEO, Yoyo
“Ours is one of the most competitive industries in the country, and our officers are on client sites rather than behind desks. Most of them have never had a work email address. Getting a payslip to all our people used to mean printing, sorting and pushing them out through supervisors. With Jem it’s instant. When we send a company communication we can see exactly who received it and who opened it. It has taken a serious administrative load off our payroll team. We believe Jem’s innovative approach and constantly evolving offering is a competitive edge for us.”
Brenda Reddy
CEO, iMvula Quality Protection
“Jem HR has been an exceptional partner in digitising how we engage with our workforce. From day one, the team combined professionalism and attention to detail with a genuine understanding of our business — translating that into a practical solution that works in the real world. They didn’t just hand us technology; they guided us through concept, implementation, adoption and ongoing support. The result is a platform that makes connecting our employees to HR services simple, accessible and effective. Responsive, solution-driven, and excellent value — I’d confidently recommend Jem HR to any organisation looking to modernise its HR processes.”
Marius Erasmus
CTO, Auto & Truck Tyres
“Jem is truly a business partner. They are open to new initiatives, suggestions and ways to optimise their services.”
Esther Geldenhuys
People Operations Executive, Econofoods
“With 3,200 people across our restaurants, most of them deskless teams, we needed a trusted platform to improve engagement, deliver payslips and communications seamlessly, and provide meaningful financial wellness support. Jem has achieved excellent adoption of nearly 90%, largely through strong team engagement and advocacy from within. The WhatsApp-based experience is simple and accessible, the earned wage access benefit is valued by our teams, and Jem has been a responsive and dependable partner throughout.”
Gerhard Jovner
Group General Manager, Rohloff Group
“We were one of the early adopters of Jem, and we’ve seen a huge difference in the impact it’s made for our employees. We started simply, using it for communications and payslip delivery, but we now have the full suite in place. Our employees are thriving with document delivery, financial benefits, and communications all in one place, and it’s saved our payroll team a huge amount of admin burden and time.”
Merrill King
CEO, Capitol Caterers
“As a law firm we’re cautious by nature. JemX gave us the confidence to move - and a clear view of where the real risks are.”
Adrian Dommisse
Founding Director, Dommisse Attorneys
“We have over 7,000 security officers across client sites in the region. Most don’t work from offices, and almost none have work email, so our payroll system’s email-only payslips simply didn’t reach them. We started small and deliberately, payslips only, and proved the concept before scaling. From there we expanded to teams in other countries, added Jem Mobile so our people could access affordable devices and data, and we’re now exploring rostering and leave. The simplicity is what matters. Our officers get their payslips through WhatsApp, anywhere, no email address and no app to download, and we finally have a direct channel to our people. It has become a genuine partnership, not a one-off software buy. The Jem team trained our payroll and rostering people on site, helped us brand the rollout so it felt authentically ours, and they stay close with regular check-ins. When we flag an issue or want to explore something new, they work through it with us.”
Phillip van Sittert
Group Financial Director, Stallion
“For us, a unified employee experience is essential and we partnered with Jem for the reach the platform provides. We’ve seen across so many of our franchise groups how Jem has opened clear lines of communication to our team members and allowed us to support them, inform them and drive the business outcomes directly.”
Nolo Thobejane
CPO, KFC Africa
“I love working for Jem because I know that the work I do contributes to meaningfully changing the lives of both our customers and Africa’s deskless workforce for the better.”
Amy Hopkins
Head of Marketing, Jem
“This is a team to back. Having been with Jem for over five years now, Truda has really seen a big difference by using Jem. Our staff love the product, and our HR & Ops teams find their platform incredibly easy to use. They are good people who are highly personable and spend the time getting to know what we do. We love working with them and can’t recommend them enough.”
Mark van Heerden
MD, Truda Foods
“We’ve received really great feedback since we launched Earned Wage Access. It’s really helped our employees avoid loan sharks and get out of debt.”
Allistair Gardner
Director of HR, Lasec
“I absolutely love working with the Jem team. They are forward-thinking, stick to their promises, and are attentive. Whenever we’ve had issues or concerns, they work with us through them. A great team, and I can’t recommend them highly enough.”
Brad Soekoe
CEO, Stallion Security
“If you get the chance to spend some time with the JemX team on AI, take it. I haven’t seen another leadership team further ahead.”
Greg Solomon
Coach to Founders & CEOs, Board Member, former CEO of McDonald’s South Africa
“Jem was amazing. Within two days, no questions asked, you switched everything back on. The first WhatsApp message I sent out through Jem again to say ‘Jem is back’, I could hear the cheers from all the sites at my house. There were not just sighs of relief from management. There were literal cheers of delight.”
Renier Keyser
Head of Comms & Culture, WastePlan
“AI was something we just spoke about… until Jem came along and showed us what they’ve done in their business. They gave us a peek into what’s possible, taking something that felt so out of reach and out of our expertise. Since then, there’s been no turning back, and we’re well on our way to becoming AI-native.”
Ricky Ruthenberg
Group CEO, Bootlegger
“Engaging our frontline workforce has always been one of our biggest challenges in mining. Our teams are spread across sites, often without email access, and traditional HR communication just doesn’t reach them. Jem changed that. Their platform meets our people where they already are, on WhatsApp, and for the first time we’re seeing real engagement from employees who were previously almost impossible to reach. The team at Jem understands the unique operational realities of mining, and they’ve built something that genuinely works for a deskless workforce. It’s made a measurable difference to how we connect with and support our people.”
Paul Collins
CIO, Tharisa Minerals
“We backed Jem because it sits at a powerful intersection: essential workforce software that lets companies build a deeper relationship with their people, trusted employer distribution, and embedded financial services that save everyday South Africans meaningful amounts. The result is not merely a collection of products. It is an increasingly valuable distribution and operating layer between employers and their workforces.”
Johan Bosini
Venture Partner, Quona Capital
“From the moment we partnered with Jem in Nov 24, we knew we weren’t just signing up for 1 product, we gained a business partner who truly understands the needs of our deskless teammates with genuine care. Despite being well into our partnership, the Jem team still communicates with the same energy, responsiveness, and attention as if we had only started working together yesterday. Rolling out solution after solution, across multiple entities in different sectors could have been challenging, but their ongoing support makes each process remarkably smooth. It’s refreshing to work with a service provider who have turned into family members that continues to go above and beyond, exceeding expectations which remind us of how we made the right decision.”
Ryan Pillay
Star Retailers
“Jem is one of our most innovative, forward-thinking service providers. We love the team. We love their energy, and they have made a huge difference to how we connect with, manage, and reward our 18,000 employees at Servest.”
Edward Heynes
Group Executive, Business Excellence, Servest
“Best two hours we’ve had on AI in the last 18 months. Left totally inspired and ready to tackle this huge change we have coming for us.”
Andrew Middleton
Co-Founder & CEO, GoSolr
“What keeps me motivated and proud to be working at Jem is being part of a team that makes the average deskless employee a lot better. Makes me feel like I am actively contributing to making South Africa great.”
Lefa Mokgatle
Senior SDR, Jem
“The Executive AI session with JemX was a turning point for our team. Seeing real, already built tools instead of theoretical use cases made the value of AI visible. JemX’s honest, hands-on style built trust in the room fast, even among the more sceptical voices. The team is excited to embed AI into SINANI safely, responsibly, and at scale.”
Jon-Jon Emary
General Manager, Sinani Energy