Fractional AI talent & managed delivery teams.
Hire South Africa's top vetted AI engineers, automation specialists, and growth operators, on demand, without the overhead of full-time hiring. We manage delivery, compliance, and payments end-to-end.
Clients that trust us
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Ready to build something special?
Let’s discover, design, build & grow your project together.
FAQs
Everything you need to know about Rafiki's fully-managed service, the ideal option for projects needing additional support, end-to-end.
What is the typical turnaround time to get started?
After your enquiry, Rafiki’s team will typically introduce you with a shortlist of vetted specialists or agencies within 72 hours. You’ll receive profiles, rate ranges, and project fit summaries. Once approved, we can handle contracts and onboarding immediately, so most projects start within a week. Should you wish to negotiate rates and contracts directly, we're able to support this engagement too.
How flexible are fractional engagements?
Engagements can start from as little as 2–20 hours per week or scale into full-time project coverage. You can hire individual specialists or complete micro-agency squads. Many clients convert successful fractional engagements into longer retainers or full-time roles, with Rafiki facilitating smooth contract-to-hire transitions when desired.
Should you need, Rafiki can provide Contractor of Record (CoR) or Employer of Record (EoR) services in 130+ countries.
How do payments and fees work?
Pricing varies by specialist, role, and region, but all fees are presented upfront with clear, transparent breakdowns. There are no hidden mark-ups. You receive consolidated invoices with full visibility into hours worked, deliverables, and supporting documentation where required.
For teams that want fast and affordable cross-border settlement, Petl Pay supports payments across regulated fiat rails and stablecoin mechanisms. This includes invoicing and settlement in USD, EUR, and GBP, as well as direct cross-border payouts into ZAR and other supported African currencies.
Clients are invoiced through Petl Pay, which manages invoicing and payments securely for work delivered via Rafiki. Should you not wish to leverage Petl Pay, you will simply recieve and invoice with project-specific bank details. This payment will be redirected into the relevant wallet or bank details for the talent/s engaged automatically.
If you prefer to handle payments directly and transact off-platform, Rafiki can accommodate this and support coordination as needed.
How does Rafiki ensure quality and accountability?
Rafiki focuses on experienced operators rather than open marketplaces. Engagements are clearly scoped upfront, and delivery expectations are aligned between client and specialist. Where needed, Rafiki can support ongoing check-ins and delivery oversight.
How do you vet fractional specialists and micro-agencies?
We take a three-stage approach to vetting every applicant. Following an application, top prospects are invited for an interview where we assess their skills, experience, and work aspirations. We prioritise skill and output over traditional degrees or titles, and we cross-check all references or testimonials before acceptance.
To date, fewer than 1% of applicants have been accepted into our Experts in Residence programme. This includes both individual specialists and sector-specific micro-agencies, teams experienced in delivering design, tech, and marketing solutions for early-stage startups, growth-phase businesses, and established agencies. Every approved expert is verified through ongoing project feedback and KYC compliance checks inside Petl, our payments provider.