Trade union Solidarity has signed a deal with US company Propay Prime US to export South African IT skills – online, from South Africa.
Propay, which focuses on unions, non-profits and enterprises, delivers software as a service platforms, financial services and DevOps solutions.
Solidarity has paid a number of visits to the US this year as part of efforts to convince President Donald Trump to exert pressure on South Africa to abandon what it has described as the “racist” policies of the ANC government and to place sanctions on certain “corrupt” ANC leaders.
Last month, the union asked the Trump administration to lower tariffs on imports from the motor manufacturing, agriculture, textiles and mining to 15%. This followed the US slapping a blanket 30% tariff hike on South African exports in August.
The Solidarity delegation is currently in Texas where it hopes to sign more agreements with business there.
Solidarity CEO Dirk Hermann said on Friday that the plan is to establish an entire sector through which South Africans can export their skills to the US while continuing to live in South Africa.
“The information revolution has created unlimited potential. In the next five years, we are going to create thousands of jobs for people who can apply their skills without absurd racial requirements,” Hermann said in a statement.
He said the deal with Propay is considered a successful “micro-trade agreement”. While the South African government has failed to secure a trade deal with the US government, Solidarity is forging ahead by establishing agreements at company level.
Modern technology
The union plans to expand the agreement to include the financial sector, online education, communication and design, engineering, planning, project management, and administration.
Peter Wesseloo, MD of Propay Prime US, said in the statement that the agreement will bring a considerable number of opportunities from the US to South Africans. He said the skills of the union’s members are in high demand in America.
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Solidarity has developed an online platform that connects employers and employees. It will also soon launch a staffing agency that will “take the facilitation of skills abroad to a new level”.
“We want people to live in rand but earn in dollars. We want them to work for the Yankees, but cheer for the Springboks. We want them to work in New York during the week but still head for the bush on a Friday. Modern technology is opening new possibilities, and no government or racial law can stop it,” said Hermann pointedly.
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The agreement follows South Africa and the US failing to reach an agreement on the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which expired on Tuesday. It is understood that Washington is in favour of extending it for another year, though there’s been no news on that yet. – © 2025 NewsCentral Media
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