We have a soft spot for hiring staff from South Africa. So many of our remote techs, admin assistants and even entry level support agents are from this beautiful country. At this point, you might be wondering why.
Well, when we first started Support Adventure, a premium remote staffing company for MSPs, we were operating from Serbia and hiring people from around the world. They had to be able to work the same time zone as our UK clients. But as we evolved through the years and gained over 40 US clients, recruiting outsourcing staff from South Africa made so much more sense for various reasons.
Those reasons for hiring outsourced remote staff from South Africa are:
- They can work for US, UK and Canadian time zones
- English is their native language
- They provide great customer service
- South Africans are great at self-organizing and hard work
- Technical knowledge and expertise is abundant in this country
- They are fast learners
- The cultural compatibility is strong
- They Possess amazing character and personality
Even though we’ve approached the whole world for recruitment and found people from Asia, Latin America, North America and Eastern Europe, South Africa simply has an edge to it that we haven’t found elsewhere.
Here’s why!
Outsourced staff from South Africa communicate SO well!
There’s a very small cultural barrier in the style of communication between South Africa and the US. Whether it comes to building rapport with coworkers or delivering excellent results in customer service, remote outsourced staff from South Africa ace communication on all levels.
To list a few examples, we’ve seen our employees from South Africa excell at the following:
- Knowing how people want to be spoken to in high stakes customer service issues
- Relating to their coworkers and easily building rapport
- Forming a connection with the people they’re working with
- Understanding well the way ticketing systems, PSAs and operational procedures function
- Delivering great IT support
Outsourced Staff from South Africa are Culturally Compatibility
While South Africa is highly influenced by the Dutch and their language, many other languages, including English, are spoken in the country as well. Conversing in English is not foreign to people from South Africa at all as they are mostly brought up in an English speaking environment.
English is the main mode of communication for business and everyday life. People there also have a lot of experience with working online, interacting with different cultures, and thus adapting to any environment they are in.
They truly tick all boxes when it comes to language and soft social skills needed for superb customer service.
The work ethic of South African outsourced staff is incredible
Managing expectations and communication is what customer service is all about, and our remote outsourced employees from South Africa are so adept at understanding that.
We believe this is due to life in South Africa not being the easiest. People must rely on their own ingenuity to get ahead in life.
They have to work hard, do things seriously, stand up for what they believe in and deliver results. This molds them into really strong, trustworthy and dependable people.
South African employees and the local job market
The remote outsourced staff from South Africa that we’ve hired have consistently been dependable and respectful. They are not ones to have a habit of cancelling at the last minute or being a no show for an important meeting or event.
Unlike remote workers from the US or Canada, they take fewer days off, and don’t provide little warning or foresight. Now, of course we understand that it’s an emotionally healthy thing to take time off for your physical and mental wellbeing.
However, there is a sense that people in Canada or the US are often brought up to be much more selfish when it comes to taking leave. South Africans are slightly better at giving proper advanced notice and planning before asking for time off.
We think a lot of this is due to the job market. The unemployment rate in South Africa hit a new record with 34.4% in the second quarter of 2021.
Since it is hard to get a job–a good job especially, people from South Africa tend to work hard to keep a job at a company that values them.
The great cost for value in outsourcing to South Africa
Not only is there a lack of jobs and fulfilling work environments in South Africa, but the average salary is much lower compared to the US or Canada. Despite that, people from South Africa have the quality of work, cultural compatibility and language proficiency that’s on the same level as economically prosperous English speaking countries.
In the table below, you can see the average salaries from more prosperous English speaking countries versus South Africa for the second quarter of 2021.
| Average in SA | Average in Canada | Average in UK | Average in the US |
| 1567.41 USD | 2,977.00 USD | 2,678.58 USD | 4,294 USD |
| 1,947.47 CAD | 3,700 CAD | 3,328.59 CAD | 5,337.33 CAD |
| 1137.96 £ | 2,166.94 £ | 1,950 £ | 3,125.97 £ |
| 23 122 R | 44,581.49 R | 40,106.72 R | 64,302.22 R |
This shows you that hiring from South Africa allows for having excellent staff for a fraction of the usual cost. And since it is remote work, there are no expenses for office space.
Most importantly, the staff in South Africa are paid more than the average salary that they would receive from a local job, which contributes to increasing their well-being and providing for their family.
Time zones and outsourced South African staff working remotely
In outsourcing to South Africa, we are able to follow the 24/7 sun model and provide continuous service to our clients worldwide.
The reason the country is our go-to is because it compliments Canadian, UK and US time zones perfectly. Technicians from South Africa can still work common office hours from the UK and Western time zones.
It’s a win-win for all. Our clients from the US, UK and Canada have reliable, well-rested technicians available at times when they’re needed the most. In return, the technician can lead a fulfilled and happy life.
Work with Support Adventure!
If you are an MSP owner or manager, consider hiring our staff for your company. We have a trusted testing and training program and provide consulting as well. Visit our MSP services page to find out more!
If you are reading this from South Africa and are an IT support professional, we recommend that you apply to work with us! We have entry level positions open as well. Our clients from the US, Canada, UK, Ireland and Australia really love working with people from South Africa and what they bring to the table.
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