TikTok has undergone multiple rounds of layoffs in Africa this year. Before employees were informed about the scheduled layoffs in May, an initial wave of layoffs hit the team in March by the ByteDance-owned company, followed by a larger reduction in workforce in June as part of the company’s global downsizing, a knowledgable person said.
TikTok’s June layoffs hit hard in Africa, targeting key departments. Content operations, marketing, and trust and safety teams were particularly affected. The person further mentioned that more job cuts are looming for the third quarter of 2024.
While exact numbers are unclear, more than half of the South African and Nigerian teams were affected, with estimates placing the overall African team size at about 100 employees. This is based off the information obtained from two persons who worked on those teams.
TikTok, however, has refused to respond to any part of this story.
Despite speculation linking the layoffs to TikTok’s regulatory challenges in the United States—President Joe Biden signed a law demanding that China-based ByteDance sell TikTok within nine months or be banned across the US— a company insider has dismissed this connection.
“The changes are not a reaction to anything,” said an executive who asked not to be named as they were not authorised to speak on the matter. “It is a function of assessing the business on an ongoing basis and making necessary changes.”
Based off the Information, this is TikTok’s most notable layoff. The same publication said it typically prefers smaller reorganisations across teams. Tiktok does not stand aloof in this extensive change. The company joins a growing list of tech giants, including Meta and Microsoft, that have downsized their African operations, although, they insist they continue investments in Africa.
This article was written by Tamaraebiju Jide, a student at Elizade University
