South Africa is increasingly becoming a top destination for international businesses seeking skilled, cost-effective talent. Driven by high levels of expertise, strong English proficiency, favourable time zones, and competitive labour costs, the country has positioned itself as an attractive hub for offshoring and global recruitment. From tech and customer support to finance and healthcare, demand for South African professionals is growing both locally and abroad.
Read the full article on BusinessTech: "International companies on the hunt for South African workers"
South Africa is appealing to international businesses for a range of reasons. With an unemployment rate of over 30%, world-class universities, and a favourable time zone, South Africa has presented itself as a place for global businesses to access skilled professionals. Employer of record and recruitment specialist, the Legends Agency, has seen this trend first-hand as it connects global businesses with local talent.
The Legends Agency has said that because of global businesses facing higher employer taxes and wage increases, global businesses are looking to recruit South African teams because it cuts costs. They have also seen their business boom as they have assisted over 150 British and US companies hire South African employees over the past year.
“Global companies initially approach us for the cost savings, but they stay for the outstanding talent and performance of their South African teams, who consistently exceed expectations,” said Anthony Kettle, SA CEO of The Legends Agency.
Robert Walters, a recruitment agency, has conducted a survey which revealed that 60% of business leaders ranked South Africa as the most attractive country for offshoring. South Africa has surpassed popular offshoring sites of India (10%), the Philippines (10%), and Eastern Europe (19%). The main reasons for offshoring in South Africa were:
On top of the strong English proficiency, South Africa is also growing a reputation for business and tech services. Robert Walters said several industries have shown notable growth in offshoring activities to South Africa, most notably Tech and IT, which account for 53% of new roles. This is followed by demand in:
“We’re seeing a strong pipeline of international businesses establishing operations in South Africa – particularly in tech and support functions,” said the Director of Africa Business at Robert Walters, Samantha-Jane Gravett.
Many international businesses are choosing to hire offshore South African talent, but some countries are choosing to recruit South Africans to move. The Netherlands is one such country looking to South Africa to fill its healthcare and engineering professional shortages. The number of South Africans living in the Netherlands has grown from a massive 21,878 in 2018 to an estimated 41,300 living there. Other countries with a similar mission are Ireland, Canada, the UAE, and Germany.
As global companies continue to rethink how and where they build their workforces, South Africa is standing out as a strategic solution. Its combination of talent, affordability, and business alignment has made it a preferred choice for offshoring, while the growing interest from countries recruiting South Africans abroad highlights the international value of its workforce. This trend reflects not only South Africa’s strengths in the global labour market, but also its expanding role in the future of work.
