South Africa for Sales and Finance

Nick Huber has built a systematic approach to hiring international talent that has transformed his businesses. Through his company Somewhere and portfolio companies, he manages 160+ employees with only 6 Americans, proving that high-level roles—not just repetitive tasks—can be filled internationally at a fraction of US costs.

Geographic Talent Hubs:

• South Africa (Primary for Sales & Finance):

  • 30,000 South Africans work for Big Four consulting firms in the US annually, then return home
  • Can hire controllers for $3k/month who would cost significantly more in the US
  • Sales conversion rates jumped from 30% to 42% when switching from Philippines to South Africa
  • Cape Town specifically strong for finance leaders and IT consultants (e.g., SOC 2 compliance expert)

• Colombia & Brazil (Operations Excellence):

  • Unbelievable for operations roles
  • Same time zone as US—major advantage
  • Works for almost any role that doesn't require perfect English
  • Head of performance marketing in Bogota, Colombia
  • COO in Johannesburg hired from this region

• Egypt (Finance & Data):

  • Cairo is the cheapest city in the world for talent
  • Exceptional at Microsoft Excel and Power BI
  • Best for finance and data analyst roles

• Philippines (General Remote Work):

  • 30 million Filipinos already working for American companies
  • Deeply ingrained in their culture
  • Good baseline but South Africa outperformed for sales

• Eastern Europe (Engineering):

  • Hot spot for engineering talent

• Sri Lanka (Versatile):

  • Strong for almost all roles

The Hiring Process (DIY Without Somewhere):

• Step 1: Job Posting Strategy

  • Post on LinkedIn in target countries
  • Promote with $100/day for 5 days ($500 total investment)
  • Expect ~1,000 applicants from this spend

• Step 2: Typing Speed Filter (Eliminates 85%)

  • 85% of 60,000 monthly applicants can't type 35 words per minute
  • This is the easiest immediate filter
  • Applies to ALL remote roles: engineering, marketing, graphic design, admin, sales, executive leadership
  • Reduces pool from 1,000 to ~150-200 candidates

• Step 3: One-Minute Video Introduction (Eliminates 80%)

  • Request candidates film themselves introducing themselves
  • 80% won't do the work—they're not serious about the job
  • Assess professional maturity and communication skills
  • Reduces pool to 30-40 candidates

• Step 4: Role-Specific Task Assessment

  • For sales roles: Send 5 actual sales calls, ask for 3-minute video breakdown of missed opportunities and improvements
  • Task-based tests over interviews—see actual production, not just talk
  • Pay candidates for their time (1-2 hours)—saves money vs. false hires from nice interviews
  • Left with 3-4 really great candidates

Key Philosophy Shifts:

• Beyond Repetitive Tasks: Used to think only repeatable tasks could be outsourced; now realizes people who can run the entire company can do it better and cheaper internationally

• Americans Only for High-Ticket Sales: The only role that consistently requires Americans is closing high-ticket deals—can't replicate that ability yet (though close with some South Africans)

• Executive Leadership International: CFOs, COOs, heads of departments—all can be international hires

• Clarity Through Task Design: Creating a 60-90 minute test forces clarity on what you're actually looking for—most people don't know when they interview

• Objective vs. Subjective: Move from "I liked them" to "here's what they produced" as the hiring criteria

Scale and Results:

• Somewhere receives 60,000 applicants monthly
• Half from LinkedIn/Indeed/Monster promoted posts
• Half from referrals and ads targeting employed people
• Bolt Storage: 6 Americans out of 60 employees
• Ari Costa: 7 Americans out of 130 employees
• All American employees concentrated in sales and account management roles