Webafrica closes office and puts faith in technology
THE Covid-19 lockdown has taught businesses many things – and at Webafrica, that is no different.
In March 2020, like many other businesses, Webafrica was forced to change from office bound to work-from-home in a matter of days. A few years ago, before the rise of fibre and affordable data, this would have been impossible. The internet has changed the world significantly and Webafrica is embracing the opportunities technology brings.
Webafrica has made the decision to go fully remote. The company closed its Cape Town office on April 30, 2022, and the Johannesburg office will follow suit in February 2023.
“A sizable proportion of our customers work from home, totally reliant on Webafrica to keep them connected, and as a business we believe it’s important to put our money where our mouth is. We supply our staff with the same internet connectivity that we offer our customers – and it has kept our company running at an optimal, productive level,” says Sean Nourse, chief executive officer of Webafrica.
Webafrica’s Net Promoter Score, a score which measures customer satisfaction, has shot up to a high of 50 over the past two years.
Rather than forcing them to return to the office, staff members were surveyed to find out what they prefer – to work from home or go into an office. The overwhelming consensus was that staff found working from home held far more benefits than returning to the office. Employees are provided with all equipment they need to perform their jobs from the comfort of their own homes.
“Remote working has exceeded our expectations in terms of employee productivity and the savings our staff gain by not travelling to work. On average, our employees save around two-and-a-half hours a day in traffic – and with rising petrol costs, remote working drastically reduces the burden of these increases on our staff’s pockets,” Nourse adds.
The move also makes it easier for some to tend to family matters. “If remote working can give our staff that extra time to spend with their children or make family responsibilities easier, I’d say it’s definitely worth it.”
According to Webafrica, employee productivity has gone up by 20% since moving fully remote and employee happiness (which is measured on a quarterly basis) is at an all-time high.
It’s not only current staff members that reap the benefits, but also potential employees. Webafrica is now able to focus its hiring efforts in areas where customers reside, in order to give back to the communities that support it.
The company has seen exponential growth and currently provides jobs for 510 people across the country.
“We recognised the economic strain that lockdown put on many households, with the record high unemployment rate in South Africa.” Since the start of
lockdown, the company has employed around 250 new employees.
Webafrica is one of the fastest growing ISPs in the country, with more than 150 000 customers connected and new products being added monthly. Thus, recruitment will continue throughout the year as the company strives to continue giving this rapidly expanding customer base, high-quality support.
The office closure will mark the dawn of a new era at Webafrica. Working remotely will see the company place its trust in the same quality internet that it promises to customers – internet that’s fast, affordable and reliable to ensure it is “business as usual” each day, no matter where staff members are working from.
“We encourage other South African businesses to follow suit and embrace the work-from-home movement which is all possible through a high-quality, reliable internet connection such as ours,” Nourse concludes.