Managing growing teams can be a daunting task for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria. Adetoun Adele-Muraina and Adetola Abolarinwa, founders of PeoplePulse Africa, observed that many SMEs manage their employees informally, using methods such as WhatsApp for leave requests and spreadsheets for employee information. As businesses grow, these informal processes become increasingly inadequate, leading to challenges in recruitment, payroll, and performance management.
Adele-Muraina and Abolarinwa encountered this pattern while working at Bridgemead Consulting, where they supported growing businesses across various HR processes. They realized that many SMEs wanted to establish stronger internal processes and create better workplaces but struggled with manual systems. The founders identified a gap in the market for an HR technology solution that catered to the unique needs of growing SMEs in Nigeria.
Existing HR technology solutions often catered to larger organizations with established HR departments and bigger budgets. Others focused on individual parts of the employee lifecycle, requiring businesses to combine multiple tools to manage critical employee information. This created complexity rather than solving the problem. Adele-Muraina and Abolarinwa knew that their solution had to be simple, affordable, and relevant to the reality of growing SMEs.
The founders' experience raised a practical question: could technology help solve people-management challenges at scale? This question led to the creation of PeoplePulse Africa, an HR technology platform designed to help SMEs establish stronger people systems without requiring a large organization infrastructure. The platform focuses on accessibility, affordability, and relevance to the needs of growing SMEs.
PeoplePulse Africa has participated in various programs, including the Providus Bank SME Programme and the Village Capital x Standard Chartered Women in Tech Accelerator 2026. The platform is also part of a founder program by Antler Africa, a venture capital firm. These engagements have provided valuable insights and support as PeoplePulse Africa moves into its next phase.
As PeoplePulse Africa continues to grow, its focus is on reaching more growing businesses across Nigeria and beyond. The platform aims to build for the realities of Africa's evolving workforce, providing a solution that addresses the unique challenges of SMEs in the region. By doing so, PeoplePulse Africa hopes to empower businesses to create better workplaces and establish stronger internal processes.
The creation of PeoplePulse Africa reflects a broader shift in how growing businesses view HR, from an administrative burden to a foundation for scale. By providing a tailored solution, Adele-Muraina and Abolarinwa aim to support the growth of SMEs in Nigeria and contribute to the development of a more robust and efficient workforce.
Key points
- PeoplePulse Africa was created to address the people-management challenges faced by growing SMEs in Nigeria.
- The platform focuses on accessibility, affordability, and relevance to the needs of growing SMEs.
- PeoplePulse Africa aims to support the growth of SMEs in Nigeria and contribute to the development of a more robust and efficient workforce.
