Johannesburg: AfricUpdate – News Desk
In a strategic move to circumvent stalled government trade negotiations, South Africa’s trade union Solidarity has entered into an agreement with the American company Propay Prime U.S. to enable the export of South African IT skills to the United States. The arrangement has been described as a “successful micro-trade agreement” and is expected to serve as a model for creating a new sector that allows skilled South Africans to earn in dollars while living and working in rands.
The initial phase of the agreement focuses on online IT skills, providing a framework for South African professionals to work remotely for U.S. companies. The long-term goal is to expand this model to include other sectors such as finance, online education, communications and design, engineering, project management, and administration, creating a broader ecosystem for skills export.
Solidarity’s Chief Executive, Dr. Dirk Hermann, highlighted that the initiative is a response to the government’s failure to secure a trade agreement with the U.S. The union sees the information revolution as opening up “unlimited potential” and aims to generate thousands of employment opportunities over the next five years, offering access to work without discriminatory barriers.
Propay Prime U.S. Managing Director, Peter Wesseloo, noted that the partnership would provide substantial opportunities for South African workers, recognizing the strong work ethic of Solidarity members as highly sought after in the U.S. market. To support the initiative, Solidarity has already developed an online platform to connect South African professionals with international employers and plans to launch a staffing agency to further facilitate the remote export of skills abroad.
