Socium, founded in 2021 by Samba Lo and Serigne Seye, provides payroll, recruitment and workforce management software to businesses across 21 Francophone African countries.
Zafiri will serve as a blended finance vehicle — meaning it uses a mix of concessional (low-cost) and commercial capital — to help de-risk investments in companies delivering DRE solutions.
For founders considering a European expansion strategy, southern France — often overlooked in favor of Paris or Berlin — may now be worth a serious look.
Africa’s population is expected to double by 2050. The global demand for digital services is exploding. And many countries are still unsure how to compete.
The VC backed a number of startups that have become prominent players, including Zeepay, a cross-border payments company; BezoMoney, a digital bank targeting the unbanked, among others.
Socium, founded in 2021 by Samba Lo and Serigne Seye, provides payroll, recruitment and workforce management software to businesses across 21 Francophone African countries.
Sixteen months later, on a hot July day in 2026, Egypt's finance minister, Ahmed Kouchouk, returned to a company whose public frustration had once laid bare the country's industrial bureaucracy.
