Alternatives to Local Developer Hiring for Growing European Companies
Hiring locally feels like the easiest option, but it comes with everything after the hire: probation, sick leave, dismissal rules, and starting over when someone leaves. The alternatives differ less in where people are than in who carries that side. European companies use nearshore partners in Eastern Europe or Portugal, offshore partners in Asia, their own hub abroad, or professionals in Africa, either through a partner or hired directly. Time-zone overlap, language and turnover differ by option, and turnover at the provider is one of the weaknesses buyers report most often. The right choice depends on whether you want to direct the work yourself and how much of the staffing side you want to keep.
Why local hiring isn't working for many European companies
In markets like the Netherlands, Germany, and the UK, hiring developers locally has become increasingly difficult for growing companies. The combination of talent scarcity, high salary expectations, long hiring cycles, and competition from large tech employers means that many roles remain unfilled for months.
For growing companies, this creates a specific problem: they need capacity now, but they can't compete on salary with large corporations, and they don't have the HR infrastructure to run prolonged recruitment cycles.
Hiring remotely within the EU
The first alternative to local hiring is hiring remotely from other EU countries. Portugal, Spain, Poland, and the Baltic states have growing developer communities with lower salary expectations than Western Europe.
Advantages:
- Same legal framework (EU employment law)
- Cultural proximity and overlapping work hours
- No visa or work permit complications for EU citizens
Considerations:
- Salary expectations in popular remote markets are rising
- Language can be a factor
- You still need to manage recruitment yourself
Eastern Europe: the established nearshore option
Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, and others) has been a popular nearshoring destination for European companies for over a decade. The region has mature developer communities, competitive pricing, and strong timezone overlap with Western Europe.
Advantages:
- Large, experienced developer talent pools
- Competitive rates (typically 40-60% of Western European salaries)
- 0-2 hours timezone difference from Central European Time
Considerations:
- Rates have increased significantly in popular countries
- Geopolitical instability has affected some markets
- Competition for top talent is intense
Africa: the emerging talent pool
Africa has one of the world's youngest and fastest-growing populations, and its tech talent ecosystem is developing rapidly. Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, and Cameroon are among the countries with active and growing developer communities.
Advantages:
- Strong timezone overlap with Europe: most African countries are within 0-2 hours of CET
- Large, young, English- and French-speaking talent pool (English particularly in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda; French in Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon)
- Rates: generally lower than in Eastern Europe for comparable skill levels
Considerations:
- The talent ecosystem is younger than Eastern Europe; depth of senior talent varies
- Cultural bridging requires deliberate effort
- Compliance and payments require a partner or EOR
Comparison: geographic alternatives (what a remote developer roughly earns per month, before tax)
| EU remote — Timezone overlap with CET | Same or 1hr |
|---|---|
| Eastern Europe — Timezone overlap with CET | 0-2hrs |
| Latin America — Timezone overlap with CET | 4-8hrs behind |
| Africa — Timezone overlap with CET | 0-2hrs |
| EU remote — Typical mid-level monthly earnings | €3,300-5,400/mo |
| Eastern Europe — Typical mid-level monthly earnings | €3,300-5,000/mo |
| Latin America — Typical mid-level monthly earnings | €3,000-5,900/mo |
| Africa — Typical mid-level monthly earnings | €1,500-3,000/mo |
Where Tunga fits
Tunga takes the staffing side off the plate of companies that need digital professionals: software engineers, AI operators, product managers and other digital roles, from across Africa. The client directs the work. Tunga handles finding and vetting, contracts, payments and compliance, onboarding, keeping people, and replacing them when someone leaves or it isn't working. The professionals are independent freelancers contracted by Tunga and work remotely from their own country; the client has one contract, with Tunga, and a delivery manager who checks in with both sides. In 2025, about 1 in 56 placements ended because the professional left for another job. Founded in 2015; 3,500 professionals across 38 African countries and 300+ client companies, as of September 2026.
Tunga is not the right fit when the role has to be on site, when the work means talking to your clients in a language other than English or French, or when saving on cost is the main reason you're looking.
Need capacity now?
Tell us what you're looking for. We'll get back to you within one working day.
Tell us what you need