With its diverse range of high-quality creative output and advanced ICT infrastructure, South Africa is an attractive destination for international businesses looking to cut costs while maintaining, or even improving, their standards whether it be in advertising, brand communications or architecture.

As Andrew Human, the CEO of the Loeries®, a non-profit organisation that focuses on building the creative economy, puts it: “The weakening of the rand against most major currencies means South Africa has an added advantage when competing against other countries’ creative industries. In addition, factors such as our primary business language being English, our favourable time zone and our ability to produce relevant work across a wide range of cultures all count in our favour.”

But just how do international companies with limited knowledge of the South African creative industry find the right fit for their needs? According to Human, the best resources available to foreign companies looking for South African creative agencies and companies are the Loeries® Archive, which provides access to all the award-winning work since 1978; and the Loeries® Official Rankings, which offers an annual measure of the best-performing creative agencies and companies in the creative space, including architects – a new addition to the Loeries® categories.

One example of a local creative company tapping into the global creative economy is SAOTA Architects. Through an innovative and dedicated approach to the execution of their projects, the Cape Town-based architectural firm has become internationally sought-after, with active projects in 44 cities across the world, and has received numerous awards and commendations from some of the most respected institutions worldwide.

Although the weak rand has improved the firm’s profit margin, according to SAOTA director, Greg Truen, this is not the only reason the firm has gained international recognition. “We’ve really focused on quality and are trying to compete with the best out there. Also, South Africa’s exceptional skills base and its people’s amazing work ethic are some of the things international businesses respond to,” he says.

Human concurs, saying South Africa’s biggest assets are, and always should be, our minds. And this is where the importance of the internet as game-changer for creative businesses comes in. “It is in the ideas economy that we are not restricted by production or raw material challenges. In the creative economy, we can be truly competitive and ideas can be directly converted to currency,” says Human.

Truen can’t overemphasise the importance of the internet in business. “I think South Africans don’t realise the full potential the internet presents for international business and how there has been an increase in the number of people working across borders,” he says.

With the rapid convergence of creativity and technology in South Africa, it’s no surprise the country’s creative industry is being looked at through a different, more positive, lens by international companies. To this end, the Loeries® present a measure of the best creative work in the Africa and Middle East region, and can help local companies secure international business, as well as assist international businesses in navigating the region’s fresh and exciting creative landscape.

“South African agencies tend to work across more brands and market sectors. The result is that you get senior creative resources working on a variety of smaller budget projects and agencies are able to develop innovative and leading solutions for less. We punch above our weight and there are few countries that can compete with our offerings,” says Human.