Simon Ellis

Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Jem

Simon Ellis is Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Jem, in the role since 2020.

Jem is a South African workforce platform, formerly SmartWage, that runs earned wage access, payroll and employee benefits for frontline workers over WhatsApp. It raised a US$8.4 million Series A led by Quona Capital in August 2026.

In the job

  1. Jem raised a US$8.4 million Series A led by Quona Capital. Source

Sources

  1. businesstech.co.za
  2. launchbaseafrica.com
  3. weetracker.com

Facts last checked 3 November 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

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