Building a Diverse Remote Team: The African Advantage for Fully Remote, Worldwide Companies
In today's rapidly evolving work landscape, the concept of a traditional office, a 9-to-5 routine, and a fixed location for work have all but dissolved. Remote work is no longer an exception; it's becoming the new standard. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this shift, highlighting the efficiency of working from anywhere with the right tools and mindset. This transformative trend is revolutionizing the global employment scene, providing both opportunities and challenges for businesses and job seekers.
The Rise of Remote Work: A Paradigm Shift
Remote work, once considered a luxury, has rapidly become a standard practice for organizations worldwide. Notably, the pandemic served as a catalyst, solidifying the idea that work can indeed be accomplished efficiently from virtually anywhere. This shift has redefined the way work is conducted, giving companies access to a more diverse global talent pool while affording employees greater flexibility in managing their work-life balance. Stanford Economics Professor and remote work expert, Nick Bloom, remarked,
"Remote work gives employers significant new opportunities to shop for talent. Firms based in higher-paying regions are finding workers in lower-cost regions, expanding talent pools and saving costs." [1]
Africa's Untapped Potential
To start off, the continent of Africa also offers a favorable alignment in time zone synchronicity with US and British-speaking regions, offering a favorable work environment for global companies. All African countries lie within 5 to 8 hours of the Eastern Time Zone, vs The Philippines (a country developed English-speaking countries use to shop for talent) which is 12 to 13 hours ahead of the East Coast time zones.
Africa, a continent rich in potential, is poised to benefit greatly from this transformative change. Boasting a youthful population, burgeoning tech ecosystems, and an increasingly educated workforce, Africa offers a valuable resource for global companies. Furthermore, as Africa continues to invest in digital infrastructure and connectivity, it's primed to become a key player in the global remote work revolution.
Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service, which boasts at least 5 to 10 times the internet speed relative to the continent's average [2] has already connected several African countries, including Zambia, Benin, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria and Rwanda with 35 more African countries scheduled for launch in 2023 and 2024. [3]
Economic Realities: A Competitive Advantage
The Philippines, while having the 5th highest English-speaking population, only has 37,000 Filipinos who speak English as a first language. A stat reported back in 2017. [4]
Comparatively, Sub-Saharan Zambia, one of the 5 African countries with a significantly lower population relative to The Philippines, has 3 times more English first language speakers, a figure which quickly rose to 389,000 by 2010. [5] The other 4 countries being Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Liberia.
In addition to language proficiency, the cost of living in Africa is marginally lower than The Philippines and significantly lower than in Western countries, making it a cost-effective choice for global companies. A sentiment echoed by Nick Bloom, Stanford Economics Professor, and Co-Founder of WorkFromHomeResearch.com,
"Global wage pressures will cause fully-remote jobs to drift toward lower-cost locations, and this could ultimately reduce the share of remote jobs in the US and Northern Europe and increase them in other locations.
Essentially, we should consider this change as being similar to free trade for services, just as the past few decades have seen the growth of free trade in manufacturing. I’d expect the overall economic impact to include an increase in the global labor supply, a reduction in average wages worldwide, and an increase in total economic output. Remote work is where we’ll see globalization most clearly in the coming years." [6]
As an example of the economic comparative advantage that Africa possesses, we have set a monthly salary of $1,500 in the Philippines and adjusted the purchasing power of the $1,500 in several African countries.
To maintain the standard of living with a monthly salary of $1,500 in Manila in The Philippines, you’ll need $1,233 a month in Gaborone, Botswana, $1,274 a month in Nairobi, Kenya, $1,276 a month in Lusaka Zambia, $1,408 a month in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, $1,432 a month in Lagos, Nigeria, $1,762 a month in Harare, Zimbabwe and $1,828 a month in Johannesburg, South Africa. [7]
A great opportunity for remote companies hiring worldwide, as it opens up a pool of talent for pennies on the dollar in more favorable time zones.
Comparing Universities: Africa vs. The Philippines vs. Developed Countries.
To further illustrate the depth of Africa's talent pool, we can compare universities in Southern Africa with those in The UK, Australia, Canada, The United States, and The Philippines. The UK Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2023 [8] serves as a basis for this comparison.
The table below, derived from 13 calibrated indicators, showcases the performance of universities in teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook:
University | Country | Rank
University of Cape Town, South Africa, Rank 160
Rutgers University, United States of America, Rank 201-250
University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, Rank 251-300
Deakin University, Australia, Rank 251-300
University of South Australia, Australia, Rank 301–350
University of Victoria, Canada, Rank 301–350
Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines, Rank 351-400
University of Manitoba, Canada, Rank 351–400
University of Kent, United Kingdom, Rank 351–400
University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom, Rank 401–500
University of KwZulu Natal, South Africa, Rank 401-500
Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania, Rank 401-500
University of Lagos, Nigeria, Rank 401–500
University of Saskatchewan, Canada, Rank 501–600
University of Greenwich, United Kingdom, Rank 501–600
Durban University of Technology, South Africa, Rank 501-600
University of Zambia, Zambia, Rank 501-600
University of Nairobi, Kenya, Rank 601-800
Central Queensland University, Australia, Rank 601-800
Covenant University, Nigeria, Rank 601–800
University of Namibia, Namibia, Rank 601-800
University of Central Florida, United States of America, Rank 601-800
University of Houston, United States of America, Rank 601-800
University of Georgia, United States of America, Rank 601-800
North-West University, South Africa, Rank 601-800
University of Pretoria, South Africa, Rank 801-1000
University of the Philippines, Philippines, Rank 801-1000
This comparison emphasizes the region's potential for skilled outsourcing as African countries and more notably, Sub-Saharan African universities rank alongside global counterparts.
Even at the high-school level, over 800 Sub-Saharan African private schools utilize internationally recognized curricula, like the Cambridge International IGCSE, GCE, GSCE, O’ Level, A and AS level, only increasing the talent pool of entry-level skilled workers, at least in the industries that don’t require a degree to enter. [9]
[10]
The aforementioned, in tandem with a heavy adoption of British and American norms facilitated by globalization, Africa stands out as a region with a massive pool of talented, educated professionals proficient in English. This linguistic advantage positions African job seekers as not only competent in their roles but also culturally attuned to integrate seamlessly into diverse global teams.
In essence, Africa provides a reservoir of skilled professionals who can competently fulfill job responsibilities and culturally assimilate into diverse teams across the globe. As we navigate the future of work, it is evident that the African advantage is a powerful asset for global companies seeking to build diverse, remote teams. The journey toward a remote-ready workforce is not just about geography; it's about unlocking the potential that Africa brings to the global stage.
Sources Cited.
The Global Skills Marketplace. Using Remote work to solve the Talent Crisis) [1]
A list of African countries where Starlink is either available or soon to be launched) [3]
The Global Skills Marketplace. Using Remote work to solve the Talent Crisis) [6]
UK Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2023 [8].
Destination South Africa Using your Cambridge qualifications to study in South Africa, A Cambridge Assessment International Education Report. [9]
What's the difference between SAT, GCSE, IGCSE and A Level?. [10]
