Morocco and Tunisia are the best countries in Africa for remote work

According to new research by cybersecurity company NordLayer, Morocco and Tunisia are the best countries in Africa for remote work. Last year, the company created the Global Remote Work Index (GRWI), which reveals the best and worst countries to work remotely in terms of four different criteria: cyber safety, economic safety, digital and physical infrastructure, and social safety.

This year, NordLayer evaluated 108 countries compared to 66 last year.  Here are the TOP 10 countries that are best for remote work according to this year’s data:

1. Denmark
2. The Netherlands
3. Germany
4. Spain
5. Sweden
6. Portugal
7. Estonia
8. Lithuania
9. Ireland
10. Slovakia

The index was compiled by assessing and comparing countries using four index dimensions. Under each dimension are various attributes (sub-dimensions) that, combined, help evaluate general remote-work attractiveness:

1. Cyber safety — infrastructure, response capacity, and legal measures.
2. Economic safety — tourism attractiveness, English language proficiency, cost of living, and healthcare.
3. Digital and physical infrastructure — internet quality and affordability, e-infrastructure, e-government, and physical infrastructure.
4. Social safety — personal rights, inclusiveness, and safety.

Morocco — a leader among African countries

Among all 20 African countries part of the index, only Morocco (48th) ranks in the global TOP 50. The country was helped by its tourism attractiveness (16th) and cyber safety (19th), which includes an excellent response capacity (5th). Morocco is followed by Tunisia (53th) with an 18th tourism attractiveness position. Not far in the index is Mauritius (58th), which has excellent infrastructure (9th) and tourism attractiveness (14th).

Unfortunately, most African countries are at the bottom of the index, Angola leading the way as it ranks 108th among 108 countries. Zimbabwe and Mozambique are close as they are respectively 106th and 107th. This poor ranking is mostly because Uganda, Cameroon, Senegal, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Angola are in the TOP 10 of the worst digital and physical infrastructures.

Unsurprisingly, African countries are recognized for their tourism attractiveness as they are all in the TOP 30, with Mauritius leading in the 14th position, followed by Morocco and South Africa (both 16th), Botswana (17th), and Tunisia as well as Kenya (18th). 

Practice good cybersecurity habits

“Even though some of the big tech companies recently brought their employees back to the office or introduced a hybrid work model, remote work is here to stay. It’s not just a trend — it is a fundamental shift in how we approach productivity and work-life balance. Embracing remote work empowers our teams to harness their full potential, regardless of geographical boundaries,” adds Donatas Tamelis, managing director at NordLayer.

For people interested in remote work, Tamelis recommends practicing several good cybersecurity practices:

• Always use a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN encrypts your internet connection and helps protect your personal information from prying eyes. It is especially crucial when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks.
• Also, ensure that all your devices, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops, have the latest software updates installed. These updates often include security patches that can help protect against known vulnerabilities.
• Be cautious with public Wi-Fi and avoid accessing sensitive information such as online banking or entering passwords on public Wi-Fi networks unless you are using a VPN. Hackers can easily intercept data on unsecured networks.
• Enable two-factor authentication whenever possible for your email accounts, social media profiles, and other online services you use while traveling. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification during login.
• Use strong and unique passwords. Create strong passwords for each of your online accounts and avoid using the same password across multiple platforms. Consider using a password manager like NordPass to securely store and generate complex passwords.

“In the age of remote work, cybersecurity is not just an option. It’s a critical necessity to safeguard our data and protect our organization from evolving cyber threats. Working remotely opens up new opportunities, but it also exposes us to potential security risks. Cybersecurity vigilance is our first line of defense,“ says Tamelis from NordLayer.

The full list is available here: https://nordlayer.com/global-remote-work-index/