original post by Workpay
The world of work has tremendously changed in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the global labour market in 2020, and although it had negative consequences in the short term, it also accelerated the disruption of technology at work. As a result, more companies are hiring teams across the world. African talent has been a massive beneficiary in this shift because of its readiness and the global talent need.
Remote work is on the rise.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many companies to rapidly adapt their business operations to accommodate most of their staff working from home. Collaboration and communication tools ensured that the teams were productive from any location. As things normalize, most companies keep their remote work models remote-first or remote-friendly.
The adoption of remote working offers organizations advantages, such as:
- Lower costs:
With reduced office space, remote working saves on the costs of office rent, maintenance, taxes, and utilities for employers. It is also a win for employees as they save money they could have used for transportation, meals, and parking, among others.
- Increased flexibility:
Businesses are in a position to respond to market shifts and scale into different countries effectively with remote teams. While the management and organization of these teams require adopting business systems like Workpay, the flexibility ensures that the process is efficient.
- Business continuity:
Remote teams are less vulnerable to business disruption because they’re distributed across different locations.
- Access to a broader talent pool:
Globalization has opened up the world of work and access to top talent irrespective of geographical location. Remote working utilizes this opportunity by using HR firms to hire anywhere across the globe. A good example is the tech industry, which has in the past suffered from a severe skills shortage because of the limited top-quality talent in specific regions. India is leading in the demand for tech talent for remote-first companies.
As Africa continues to open up for business, international firms are widening their nets to attract top talent that can support their business in Africa. A CIO Article notes the top five African countries, in terms of the number of tech developers working professionally, were: South Africa, with 119,00 developers; Egypt, with 87,000; Nigeria, with 84,000; Kenya, 58,000; and Morocco, 47,000.
Remote work has been on the rise in Africa for several reasons;
1. Ease of Language
Africa is the wealthiest continent in the variety of languages spoken. However, most African countries predominantly use English or French as their business languages. This has made outsourcing work in African countries easier for international organizations. Over 23 African countries list English as one of their primary languages; almost half speak French, 17% of Africans use Arabic, and six African countries use Portuguese. While the primary language is essential to drive international business, local knowledge would help translate that into a more effective way of conducting business in different countries.
2. Lower cost of wages
The cost of living in most African countries is lower than in countries like the USA, the UK, Europe, et al. This translates to lower wages for African talent compared to the same skills in developed countries. In San Francisco, software developers frequently cost about $100,000 annually, while their Mauritius counterparts take home approximately $40,000 for the same job.
With over 12 million African graduates entering the job market every year and only 3 million job opportunities, the unemployment rate remains very high. This has lowered the cost of talent as the supply is higher than the demand.
The reduced cost of capital allocated to wages enables businesses to become far more competitive as the savings can be used on research and development to improve products and services.
3. Diverse talent pool
Africa’s population is currently at 1.4 billion, and according to a special report by The Economist , it is expected to double by 2050, making it 2.5 billion in Africa alone. This number has necessitated the growth of the different education systems to cater to the growing population and diversity in skills training to create a divergent talent pool. The differences in the education systems in Africa lead to a diversity of skills and subject matter knowledge. This is a good thing for any organization that is looking to diversify its talent while cutting costs at the same time. With over 12 million African graduates every year, it is easier to find individuals suited with skills for any job working remotely from their home countries.
4. Diversity & Inclusion
Diversity and inclusion are a massive part of modern corporate strategy. Many businesses have committed to diversity hiring quotas that promise to employ a broader mix of employees in terms of culture, race, and even gender. The younger generations prefer to transact and work for organizations that they feel share their values and consider their diversity in the hiring process. International companies that give equal working chances to African graduates through remote work are considered inclusive and diversified. Research has shown that diverse teams are more productive and diversity in teams is a significant driver of employee hiring and retention.
A Win for All
Hiring in Africa helps ease the job market demand of over 9 million graduates entering the job market every year who do not find jobs. It contributes to wealth creation on the continent as these contribute to economic growth for the African countries and the globe. Remote working also impacts positively on our environment; when you have fewer vehicles plying the roads, greenhouse gas emissions will reduce drastically. Air pollution will decrease. Adopting a remote work policy will ease traffic issues as many people prefer working from home instead of spending hours in traffic.
Hiring in Africa Is as Easy as 1-2-3 with the African Leaders in Remote Work- Workpay.
If you are a business that wants to try remote work with African talent , Workpay is your HR and Payroll solution that allows you to hire, pay, and manage your talent from anywhere in the world. We are specialists in making remote work easy for companies in Africa and beyond. Many businesses are cautious because it’s a lot of work to set up legal entities in different countries. Additionally, there are other things to consider, like tax and legal compliance, work permits, and payroll in foreign currencies.
Workpay provides top-notch solutions for businesses looking to hire freelancers, contractors, or remote teams in Africa. We allow businesses to enjoy the benefits of hiring in Africa without the headache of local administration. Companies can access Africa’s burgeoning pool of talented and educated workers without worrying about payroll, exchange rates, and hiring legal teams to analyze local labour and tax laws.
Get in touch today to find out why Workpay is Africa’s most preferred remote work solution.
