Industry

Poultry Farming, Food Production, Retail

Client Profile

Elgin Free Range Chickens (EFRC) is a large South African free-range poultry producer based in Grabouw, Western Cape. The organisation supplies major retailers, food-service and hospitality partners, and operates a multi-site internal retail and staff food-service environment. Phase 1 of the closed-loop staff wallet system included approximately 700 salaried employees, with the solution supporting controlled staff spending across multiple internal locations.

The Challenge

EFRC relied on a paper-based staff credit process that required manual slip handling and manual reconciliation with Sage payroll. This resulted in a high administrative workload, delayed monthly reconciliation cycles, and increased exposure to processing errors.

The legacy credit model limited real-time visibility of staff spending, created unnecessary credit risk, and constrained the growth potential of internal retail operations. EFRC required a secure, controlled mechanism to manage staff benefits, enforce spending limits, and improve efficiency across HR, Finance, and store operations in a multi-site environment.

Objectives

• Replace the paper-based slip system with a digital, auditable payment workflow.
• Reduce HR and Finance administration through automated payroll deduction reporting.
• Enable controlled cashless payments across internal retail outlets and staff food services.
• Apply consistent monthly spending limits with real-time balance visibility.
• Improve transparency, inclusion, and staff access to internal purchasing benefits.
• Establish a scalable foundation for expansion across additional internal outlets.

Eezipay Solution

Products Implemented

• Eezipay Staff Wallet System (Cashless Workplace platform)
• Approximately 700 staff wallet accounts
• NFC-enabled MiFare staff cards (one per active user)
• 4 × MPT5 mobile POS terminals deployed across sites
• Cloud-based reporting and reconciliation portal (Launchpad)
• Automated Sage-ready payroll deduction export
  

How Each Product Solved the Problem

• Staff Wallet System digitised all staff purchases, removing dependency on manual slips and creating a controlled, closed-loop environment for internal spending.
  
• NFC MiFare cards enabled secure tap-to-pay transactions, enforcing limit-based spending rules across all participating locations.
  
• MPT5 terminals supported reliable cashless acceptance across multiple sites, enabling real-time transaction capture and operational consistency.
  
• Cloud reporting and Launchpad access provided HR and Finance with full visibility into balances, transactions, and usage patterns, significantly reducing manual oversight.
  
• Automated Sage export replaced manual reconciliation by delivering structured payroll deduction data each month.
  
• Closed-loop wallet model eliminated the need for banking processes, acquiring fees, or FICA, while enforcing internal-only purchasing rules aligned to EFRC policy.
  
• Monthly spending limits of R1,500 per staff member, standardised allowances and controlled exposure while supporting internal retail activity.
  

Results

• Approximately 700 staff wallet accounts were activated, with a card issued for every active user.
• 823 staff onboardings completed during Phase 1.
• 423 staff members are actively spending each month.
• 4 internal retail outlets live, with consistent usage across multiple sites.
• Internal staff sales increased by approximately 30% month-on-month following activation of the digital wallet system.
• Significant reduction in HR and Finance administration through slip elimination and automated payroll deduction reporting.
• Real-time visibility of staff spending and store activity was achieved across the organisation.

The project commenced in July 2025 and remains active, with continued optimisation and expansion planned into 2026.

Client Feedback 

“It’s simplified our staff purchasing programme, reduced admin, and given staff a seamless, cashless way to access daily benefits.”
— EFRC HR Team

Why It Matters

The closed-loop staff wallet system reduced administrative burden, strengthened payroll accuracy, and removed credit risk associated with paper-based staff accounts.

Limit-based spending controls and real-time reporting improved operational governance while enabling staff to access essential workplace benefits consistently across sites.

By operating in an internal-only, closed-loop environment with no acquiring fees, EFRC protected revenue, improved retail performance, and established a scalable digital foundation for future growth.

For organisations exploring similar models, Eezipay outlines key considerations in  Closed-Loop Wallet Benefits: Powerful, Secure Workplace Control

Future Plans

• Expansion of the staff wallet system to all 12 internal retail outlets in 2026.
• Continued optimisation of multi-site operations and payroll workflows.
• Broader enablement of internal purchasing environments as adoption increases.
  

Explore how Eezipay supports complex environments with integrated, compliant digital payment systems.