A Private Digital Infrastructure Firm
May Creatives operates at the intersection of strategy, engineering, and systems design — supporting organizations where digital infrastructure is mission-critical, not cosmetic.
Our Position
May Creatives is not structured as a traditional service provider. We function as a long-term digital partner, embedded within the operational and strategic fabric of the organizations we support, primarily across West Africa.
Our work focuses on building systems that govern how platforms operate, how teams interact, and how growth is sustained over time. We're engaged when digital infrastructure becomes a competitive advantage rather than a cost center—when systems need to scale quietly, securely, and without constant intervention.
Origin & Evolution
Foundation in West Africa
May Creatives was founded in Benin, West Africa, with a singular focus: building digital systems that could operate reliably in environments where infrastructure is unpredictable and resources are constrained. This origin shaped our philosophy—systems must be resilient by design, not by luck.
Cross-Border Expansion
Expanded operations across Nigeria and Ghana, developing expertise in multi-market digital infrastructure. Built systems for government entities, hospitality groups, and growth-stage companies navigating complex regulatory environments. Learned to design for scale without sacrificing control.
Industry Diversification
Deepened capabilities across 15+ industries including real estate, automotive, professional services, e-commerce, and public sector. Developed repeatable frameworks while maintaining custom architecture for each engagement. Focus shifted from projects to partnerships.
Systems-First Maturity & Selective International Growth
Established as a recognized digital infrastructure partner in West Africa with proven expertise in governance-first systems, long-term ownership, and measurable operational impact. Portfolio spans 127+ deployed systems with 99.94% average uptime and zero critical security incidents. Began exploring selective international partnerships in South Africa, United States, Finland, and Norway through remote delivery models and referral networks.
Core Beliefs
These principles guide every engagement decision, technical choice, and operational practice. They are non-negotiable.
Systems Before Interfaces
We design architecture, data models, workflows, and governance models before any visual layers. Interfaces follow structure—not the other way around. Beautiful design without solid architecture is cosmetic at best, dangerous at worst.
Longevity Over Velocity
Short-term wins are rarely aligned with long-term resilience. We optimize for durability, clarity, and operational continuity over time. Systems should improve with age, not decay. Speed without sustainability is waste.
Discretion as a Discipline
Many of the systems we build operate quietly beneath public visibility. Confidentiality and restraint are not limitations—they are design principles. The best infrastructure is often invisible to outsiders while being indispensable to operations.
Ownership Over Dependency
We prioritize systems that organizations can understand, govern, and evolve internally—rather than platforms that lock them into external dependencies. True ownership means full access to code, data, and operational control.
Measurable Impact Only
Every system includes performance monitoring, analytics infrastructure, and clear success metrics. We measure what matters: efficiency gains, uptime, throughput, revenue impact. Vanity metrics are ignored in favor of operational signals.
Direct Communication
No account managers, sales intermediaries, or multilayer bureaucracy. Technical leads communicate directly with decision-makers. This ensures clarity, speed, and accurate requirement translation without information loss through multiple handlers.
How We Operate
Our execution model is intentionally distributed and adaptive, allowing us to operate across industries, markets, and regulatory environments without compromising standards or security.
Distributed Team Structure
Core team of 14 specialists across development, design, and strategy. Extended network of domain experts activated based on project requirements. No hierarchical bloat—only direct contributors.
Long-Term Retainer Model
Engagements are structured around ongoing system stewardship rather than isolated deliverables. Typical partnerships span 12-36 months with continuous optimization and evolution.
Phase-Gated Execution
Five-phase model from discovery through optimization. No phase begins without completion and sign-off of the previous phase. This prevents scope creep and maintains quality standards.
Cross-Border Capability
Primary operations across West Africa (Nigeria, Benin, Ghana) with expertise in multi-jurisdiction regulatory environments, currency systems, and regional payment infrastructure. Developing remote delivery capability for selective international partnerships.
Security-First Infrastructure
Every system includes multi-layer authentication, complete audit trails, encryption at rest and in transit, and regular security assessments. Zero tolerance for security shortcuts.
Selective Engagement
Limited to 8-12 active partnerships at any time. Quality over volume. Each organization receives focused attention and dedicated technical leadership throughout the partnership.
Geographic Presence
Core operations in West Africa with emerging international partnerships. Primary expertise remains in African markets with selective remote engagements in developed economies.
Benin
Headquarters: Abomey-Calavi, Atlantique
Primary operations center and technical leadership. Government relations, financial services, public sector expertise, and strategic partnerships across West Africa.
Nigeria
Operations: Lagos, Abuja regions
E-commerce, fintech, hospitality, and growth-stage technology companies. Largest client base, highest transaction volumes, and strongest proven market presence.
Ghana
Operations: Accra region
Real estate, professional services, tourism, and corporate organizations. Established regional presence with local partnerships and proven delivery track record.
South Africa
Emerging Market: Remote partnerships
Initial projects with professional services and fintech companies. Building presence through referrals and remote delivery model. Focus on SADC regional expansion.
United States
Remote Partnerships: Select clients
Limited engagements with diaspora-led businesses and international clients requiring African market expertise. Fully remote delivery model.
Finland
Strategic Partnership: Early stage
Initial partnership with Nordic client requiring African market integration. Early-stage relationship focused on cross-border e-commerce infrastructure.
Norway
Exploratory Projects: Remote delivery
Single client engagement through international referral network. Testing viability of European market entry through remote service delivery.
Industry Expertise
Deep operational knowledge across 15+ industries with specific expertise in regulated environments and complex workflows.
Partnership Profile
We partner with organizations at critical inflection points where digital infrastructure becomes a strategic imperative.
Growth-Stage Organizations
Companies scaling from 10 to 100+ employees where manual processes break down and systematic infrastructure becomes essential. Typical needs: operations automation, client portals, workflow systems.
Public & Institutional Entities
Government agencies and institutions requiring governance-first systems with audit trails, compliance frameworks, and multi-department coordination. Emphasis on security and regulatory adherence.
Founders & Executive Teams
Leaders seeking long-term digital ownership rather than vendor dependency. Prioritize systems they can understand, govern, and evolve internally without constant external reliance.
Regulated Industries
Organizations in finance, healthcare, legal, or other regulated sectors requiring systems with built-in compliance, security, and audit capabilities from day one.
Track Record
What Makes Us Different
No Templates or Themes
Every system is architected from the ground up for specific operational requirements. No pre-built templates, no drag-and-drop builders, no generic WordPress themes disguised as custom development.
No Vendor Lock-In
Full code ownership transferred to clients. Complete documentation. No proprietary dependencies. Organizations can maintain systems internally or engage any developer—they're never hostage to our continued involvement.
No Scope Creep
Phase-gated model with formal change request protocols. Scope changes trigger timeline and budget adjustments—never absorbed through informal expansion that erodes quality.
No Account Managers
Direct communication between technical leads and decision-makers. No sales layer, no project coordinators who don't understand the architecture. Clear accountability at every level.
No Short-Term Thinking
Systems designed for 5-10 year operational horizons. Architecture decisions prioritize longevity over quick wins. Performance optimization is ongoing, not a one-time event.
No Vanity Metrics
Success measured by operational impact: uptime, efficiency gains, revenue attribution, cost reduction. No "social media followers" or "engagement rates" as primary KPIs.
Selective Partnerships
May Creatives works with a limited number of organizations at a time. Our role is not to deliver features—but to design and maintain the systems that make organizations durable, scalable, and operationally excellent over years.
Engagements begin with a confidential review to assess mutual fit. We only partner with organizations where we can deliver measurable, long-term value. If it's not the right fit, we'll be direct about it.