4. Future workforce
As demand for nearshoring grows, Morocco’s modern, highly-skilled, educated and dynamic workforce sets it apart as an attractive proposition for expanding businesses in Europe, MENA and beyond. Here we highlight national excellence across varied sectors.
Farm fresh
Diana Holding
The agricultural sector has long been a major part of Morocco’s economy, employing about 45 per cent of the country’s workforce.
Moroccan agriculture is currently undergoing a “profound and dynamic transformation,” says Ghita Zniber, (pictured below on the left), part of the family that founded Diana Holding, which began in 1956 in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains and today is the second biggest company in the sector. The Moroccan government’s Green Generation 2020-2030 strategy is helping farms to modernise and professionalise their workforce, which in turn makes agriculture sustainable and resilient for future generations. There is, says Zniber, a “renewed interest in agricultural entrepreneurship”, particularly among young graduates. “Human resources are at the heart of our strategies and policies,” she adds.
Growing business
Strong roots and a global outlook have enabled Diana Holding to successfully navigate the ecological transition and build a 7,000-strong workforce.
People power
Outsourcia
Academic excellence, creative intelligence and cultural adaptability are mean that Morocco’s workforce is in high demand across the globe.
In the coming years, Moroccan talent will become “a regional export product in its own right,” says Youssef Chraibi, the president of Outsourcia, an onshore, nearshore and offshore customer-service provider. Since Outsourcia was founded in 2003, Morocco emerged as a key MENA region talent hub, particularly in the digital and AI sectors. Its workforce effortlessly bridges cultures, bringing language skills, strong academic qualifications and peerless customer service. Morocco, says Chraibi, has “high value per capita” thanks to its quality, mindset and productivity. “We used to export hours of work,” he adds. “Today, we export intelligence, creativity and resilience.”
Evolving workforce
More women are graduating and entering skilled professions, as younger Moroccans are embracing more fluid ways of working such as freelancing and remote work.
Payment terms
S2M
Where better to base your digital-payments company than Casablanca, where fintech is flourishing and the sky’s the limit?
For Omar Masnaoui, executive manager of digital-payments firm S2M, moving to Casablanca Finance City (CFC), two years ago was a logical step. “There is a strong business ecosystem here and a lot of local and international companies in the building,” says Masnaoui. “Everyone is converging in this place.”
The banking industry is well-established in Morocco compared with other MENA countries and companies based in CFC – and their staff – enjoy a reduced taxation rate and many other benefits. As a result, fintech entrepreneurs are flourishing here, with S2M leading the way. Founded in 1983, the company is at the forefront of digital-payment innovation and works across more than 50 countries (including with subsidiaries in Tunisia and Bahrain) to provide solutions for banks, merchants and consumers. “We are proud that Morocco’s fintech expertise is being recognised across the world,” says Masnaoui. “We used to be known for oranges and sardines, not tech. These advances were unimaginable 20 years ago.”
