As South Africa marks Entrepreneurship Month, celebrating innovators who are reshaping the country’s economic landscape, Richfield alumnus Nhlanhla Mabena is proving what’s possible when technology meets purpose.
The 25-year-old Information Technology (Hons) graduate has founded FlexWork, a digital hiring platform designed to make recruitment more transparent and efficient. The platform, which officially launched end-September 2025, has already begun transforming how companies connect with talent, and how job seekers find opportunities.
“FlexWork was created to make hiring fair and human,” says Mabena. “I saw how many talented people were being overlooked, not because they lacked skill, but because hiring itself was chaotic and disorganised. Typically, applications get buried in emails or spreadsheets, and great candidates are never seen. I wanted to fix that.”
FlexWork allows employers to post jobs, manage applications, and hire efficiently, all from one central dashboard. Every step of the hiring process is tracked, ensuring that no CV goes unseen and no candidate feels ghosted.
For job seekers, the experience is simple yet empowering. Candidates can upload their CVs, add project links or portfolios, and even track their applications in real time. Smart alerts recommend roles based on skills and preferences, helping users to discover opportunities that truly match their capabilities.
FlexWork’s skills-first approach replaces outdated job titles with real competencies: a more inclusive way to connect people with work in a rapidly changing economy.
Empowering SMEs through automation
Unlike traditional job boards or recruitment agencies, FlexWork is a self-service, automated hiring engine tailored for South African SMEs. It removes the clutter and cost of middlemen, giving small teams access to structured, affordable recruitment tools once reserved for large enterprises.
Employers can view and manage every applicant from a single interface, filter by skills or location, and communicate directly through the platform. Pricing is locally optimised, making professional hiring accessible to small businesses.
Since its launch, FlexWork has registered its first two employers, attracted over 200 users, and introduced four early talent pools focusing on high-demand skills. Mabena recently showcased the platform at the FNB App of the Year Hackathon 2025, under the ‘Jobs and Economic Resilience’ theme.
Rooted in purpose and Richfield’s ethos
Mabena credits his time at Richfield with shaping both his technical foundation and his entrepreneurial mindset.
“Richfield taught me that technology should solve human problems, not just automate them,” he explains. “This principle drives everything I do. FlexWork is about restoring structure, respect, and fairness in hiring, because finding work should never depend on luck.”
Looking ahead, Mabena plans to expand FlexWork’s talent pool system, introduce credit-based employer unlocks, and onboard partner consultants to strengthen its ecosystem.
“FlexWork is proudly South African-built,” he says. “Our mission is simple: make hiring faster, fairer, and more human for everyone.”
