Outsourcing Guides
High levels of skills and access to the latest technology are just two reasons why you should consider outsourcing marketing to South Africa.
The last 12 months have seen a dramatic shift in dynamics across the marketing world. New technologies such as AI are changing the game; the marketing landscape is becoming increasingly complex with even small businesses looking to expand into new territories, and businesses are looking to optimise their marketing spend. One way to achieve all of that is to outsource marketing to South Africa.
The country offers a young, diverse, and upwardly mobile workforce with high levels of skills and access to the latest technologies. Whether you’re looking to expand your talent base, enter a new market, or simply save a bit of money, outsourcing marketing to South Africa can be a quick, effective, and affordable way to achieve your key objectives.
Outsourced marketing solutions
The outlook for outsourcing marketing solutions has always been mixed. Providers in far-flung foreign countries have offered knock-down solutions, including web design, SEO, and content marketing. However, the results are often poor, with companies having to spend more to rework bad quality output.
There are many reasons for this. If you outsource marketing to a country in which English is not the first language, the results may not be what you had hoped. The quality of written content will often be poor, but a lack of familiarity with the cultural norms of your country or industry can lead to content that, at best, feels generic and fails to score with your target audiences.
If nothing else, it’s a question of you get what you pay for. If your main goal is to spend the least possible amount on your marketing campaigns, then it’s likely to shine through in the quality of the end product.
Outsourcing marketing to South Africa can achieve cost savings, but that’s only because the cost of labour is significantly lower. Top-quality marketing professionals in South Africa are likely to be more affordable than their counterparts in the UK. In terms of experience, quality, and the level of the end product, there should be virtually no difference.
English is spoken fluently across South Africa, as well as several other European and African languages, which means the quality of written content should be higher. South Africa’s culture is also a good match for the UK, with many of the same references. Marketing professionals in South Africa, therefore, will be better positioned to craft impactful content that can really hit home with audiences.
South Africa’s time zone also matches up well with Europe, which facilitates fluid collaboration between your South African professionals and your domestically based team. They can be available for video meetings and can make amendments or adjustments as and when you need. It’s a much more interactive experience, mirroring what you’d expect from working with a domestic marketing agency.
Fast collaboration also gives you more flexibility about the type of services that can be outsourced. You can choose to outsource the entire marketing function, certain projects, or supplement your existing team with certain professionals. This is a great way for companies of all sizes to access specialist professionals with certain areas of expertise, such as SEO, digital technology, or the use of artificial intelligence. They can work closely with your wider marketing team, adding their unique skills and insights into the mix. Indeed, with technology breaking down borders, it’s not uncommon for marketing projects to involve input from professionals based all over the world.
Expanding into South Africa
Aside from supporting your domestic marketing efforts, you may also outsource marketing to South Africa as part of a wider expansion into this market. South Africa is a lucrative target for any ambitious brand. It’s the second largest market on the continent behind only Nigeria and represents a great first step for a much wider African expansion.
South Africa’s culture is an interesting blend of Africa and Europe. It has enough similarities to the West to ensure that a brand that’s been successful in the West will have more than a fighting chance in Africa. However, it will have enough differences to help you adapt your brand to the nuances of African consumers.
Any expansion represents a risk. What works in one market will not necessarily thrive in a new one – a lesson that some of the world’s biggest brands have learned the hard way. To succeed in a new market, you need local marketing experts with a better understanding of the South African market.
Building a local team will help you understand existing market conditions, the competitor landscape, and the consumer profile. It will help you understand if there’s a gap in the market for your product and, if so, what price points would be most likely to attract customers.
Local marketing experts will be able to help you understand if an expansion is viable and, if so, how you can devise an effective marketing strategy.
Building your marketing team
Outsourcing marketing to South Africa can be done in many different ways. If you’re looking for people with specific skills, hiring contractors in South Africa can be a good way to access experts on a cost-effective basis. You can engage with them directly, adding them to a pool of professionals you work with on an ad hoc basis.
Alternatively, you may need to shift your entire marketing function to South Africa and hire a full team. You can do this quickly and simply through a specialist BPO company that can provide marketing services or by recruiting a team and employing them directly.
A cost-effective way to do that can be through an Employer of Record (EOR). Rather than having to set up a legal entity and employ a marketing team directly, the EOR serves as the legal employer. It handles all the legal and administrative details of the employment, leaving you to focus on getting the work done. This takes the administrative load off your shoulders and provides you with access to expert HR professionals with a full understanding of the legal and regulatory requirements of employing people in South Africa. As the legal employer, they will also hold full legal liability for the employees, which makes them responsible for any compliance challenges.
An EOR is a cost-effective way to outsource your marketing teams to South Africa and will serve you well whether you’re moving domestic marketing overseas or looking to kick-start an expansion into the South African market. Without the expense and workload of setting up a legal subsidiary, this is a great way to dip your toe in the market and test the waters. If things go well, you can scale up as needed. If not, you can cut your losses and scale back.
Whatever your goals in the South African market, then, outsourced marketing teams can be a flexible option. An affordable and effective way to transform your operations. There is a wealth of talent to work with. To find out more about how you can build your outsourced marketing operations in South Africa, download our guide today.
