The rise of the Digital Nomad

Advances in technology and societal changes have seen the emergence of hybrid workers and digital nomads. This trend was given impetus by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many workers obliged to embrace remote working, if only temporarily.

In our survey of 875 business travellers worldwide, eight in ten business travellers say they work remotely at least part of their time. Half of the survey respondents report that a mix of remote and office work is the most well-being friendly option. At the same time, six in 10 participants are likely to become digital nomads if their employer allows.

Today there are believed to be over 35 million digital nomads globally. Two-thirds of these employees prefer to stay in one place for 3 – 6 months, so providing a work visa option to these remote workers greatly boosts local tourism and the economy.

Digital nomad visas allow you to work remotely in a foreign country. You usually must work for a company or employer outside the host country or own a business you can manage from anywhere to qualify for this visa. 

South Africa is revamping its digital nomad visa rules to allow digital nomads to work in South Africa for longer than 90 days, intending to keep them there for at least a year.

If you have a job that allows you to work from home, you can work from almost anywhere. Below is a list of countries that offer Digital Nomad Visa options in case you are looking for a change of scenery:

  1. Andorra          
  2. Anguilla          
  3. Antigua and Barbuda 
  4. Aruba   
  5. Bahamas        
  6. Barbados        
  7. Bermuda        
  8. Cabo Verde    
  9. Cayman Islands          
  10. Croatia
  11. Curaçao
  12. Czech Republic           
  13. Dominica        
  14. Dubai  
  15. Estonia
  16. Georgia
  17. Germany
  18. Iceland
  19. Malta
  20. Mauritius
  21. Mexico
  22. Montserrat
  23. Norway
  24. Seychelles
  25. Spain
  26. Taiwan