Workaway International
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersCape Town, South Africa
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Workaway International firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Workaway International
- Legal name
- Workaway International
- Website
- https://workaway.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Workaway International industry classification
Industry- Product category
- International Hospitality Staffing
- NAICS
- Temporary Help Services (56132)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Paid Placement & Au Pair/Working Holiday Placement Programs (EDAIAFAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Internship Visa, Work Authorization & Compliance Services (EDAIAFAK), Third-Party Placement & Matching Agencies (EDAIAFAC)
Keywords
Where Workaway International is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cape Town
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
Workaway International business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Participant Placement Services: Workaway charges participants a program fee for recruitment, visa processing, travel arrangements, accommodation coordination, and ongoing support services while working in the USA. The program includes pre-arranged job placement, orientation, insurance, and guaranteed minimum work hours.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Line Cook positions earn $17.30-$19.25/hour |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Workaway International product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Workaway International recruits hospitality professionals (primarily from South Africa) and places them into seasonal H2B visa-sponsored roles at exclusive US country clubs. The full-service offering spans recruitment interviews, H-2B visa application assistance, paid flights, pre-departure orientation, furnished accommodation coordination, free medical insurance, and guaranteed minimum work hours with partner employers across Florida and other US states.
Product overview
Workaway International operates as a single unified recruitment and placement platform that connects international hospitality workers (primarily from South Africa) with seasonal employment opportunities at exclusive country clubs across the USA. The core offering is the Workaway International Program, which encompasses two seasonal variants—the Winter Program and Summer Program—along with distinct position categories including Culinary (Line Cooks, Dishwashers), Food and Beverage Service (Servers, Bartenders, Hosts), Recreation and Fitness (Golf/Tennis Attendants, Lifeguards), and Housekeeping/Retail roles. The platform functions as a full-service agency providing H2B visa assistance, accommodation services (optional furnished housing in Florida), medical insurance coverage, pre-departure orientation, and wage/compensation management. The service portfolio forms an end-to-end solution from initial recruitment through seasonal employment completion, with supporting modules for documentation, medical care, and housing that enable international work experiences at partner country clubs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Winter Program Seasonal H-2B work-and-travel program running during the US winter months at exclusive country clubs, providing participants pre-arranged jobs, flights, accommodation, insurance, and orientation.
- Summer Program Seasonal H-2B work-and-travel program during the US summer months at exclusive country clubs, providing hospitality professionals with international work experience, flights, housing, and minimum-hours employment guarantees.
- Culinary Positions Kitchen-staff placement roles including Line Cook (hot kitchen, cold kitchen, sushi, pastry specialties) and Dishwasher positions at US country clubs. Wages range from $17.30 to $19.25 per hour.
- Food and Beverage Service Positions Front-of-house placement roles including Server Assistants, Servers, Banquet Servers, Banquet Set-Up, Senior Servers, Server Captains, Bartenders, Hosts, F&B Receiving, and Expeditors at US country clubs.
- Recreation and Fitness Positions Wellness and recreation placement roles including Spa Reception, Fitness Reception, Fitness Attendants, Tennis Attendants, Golf Attendants, Golf Maintenance, Golf Pro Shop, Pool Attendants, and Lifeguards at US country clubs.
- Housekeeping and Retail Positions Facility maintenance and retail placement positions including Housekeepers and Golf/Tennis Retail assistants at US country clubs.
- Accommodation Services Optional furnished housing service in Florida for Workaway participants, arranged through an appointed housing company and including shared apartment accommodation, utilities, Wi-Fi, and transport to work sites.
- Wage and Compensation Service Compensation administration service guaranteeing participants a minimum of 80 work hours per two-week period, with bi-weekly payroll processing, overtime pay at time-and-a-half, and tax withholding support including seasonal tax refund eligibility. Hourly wages range from $15.60 to $19.25 depending on position and club.
Quantifiable outcome
- Guaranteed 80 hours over two-week period
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Workaway International
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Workaway International technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Workaway International partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Boca West Country ClubcoreLong-standing partnership with one of the largest and most prestigious country clubs in Florida. Boca West regularly hires Workaway participants for multiple seasons and provides seasonal employment across F&B, banquet, and recreational departments.
- St. Andrews Country ClubcoreExclusive country club partnership for seasonal hospitality staffing. St. Andrews has employed Workaway participants for over 20 years, with many returning participants.
- The Country Club at MirasolcoreMirasol has utilized Workaway International for seasonal staffing needs, praising the quality and consistency of recruited employees who help maintain their exceptional member service standards.
- Glen Oaks ClubcoreGlen Oaks Club has used the Workaway Program since 2001 for summer staffing across F&B, Valet, Golf, and Tennis departments, identifying strong skilled candidates who excel and return yearly.
- Aberdeen Golf & Country ClubcoreAberdeen provides a seamless and worry-free seasonal staffing experience through Workaway, welcoming many returning seasonal team members year after year.
- Woodfield Boca RatoncoreOver 20-year partnership for H2B staffing needs. Workaway guides Woodfield through each step ensuring legal compliance and careful administration throughout.
- Gervasi VineyardminorGrowing resort destination that struggled to find skilled staff. Workaway showed interest in understanding their business and led them through a tailored H2B process for three seasons.
- BallenIsles Country ClubcorePrestigious Palm Beach country club that regularly employs Workaway participants for seasonal hospitality positions including servers, cooks, and banquet staff.
- Addison Reserve Country ClubcoreDelray Beach country club with long-standing Workaway partnership for seasonal staffing across multiple departments.
- Broken Sound Country ClubcoreBoca Raton country club that employs Workaway participants for seasonal hospitality roles with many returning staff members.
- Swiss Hotel School South AfricacoreLeading hospitality education institution that partners with Workaway for student placements. Regular presentations and interview sessions held at their Johannesburg campus.
- International Hotel SchoolcoreHospitality education institution with campuses in Johannesburg and Durban that regularly refers students to Workaway's international placement program.
- PGA Academy South AfricacoreGolf management academy that partners with Workaway for student placements at US country clubs. Presentations held at campuses in Pretoria and Cape Town.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Workaway International competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- InterExchange: InterExchange is a US Department of State-designated sponsor for Work & Travel, Career Training and Au Pair programs, placing foreign workers across hospitality and tourism employers. The participant-sourcing model, J-1 sponsor status, and hospitality placement focus mirror Workaway's H-2B country-club pipeline.
- Cultural Vistas: Cultural Vistas is a J-1 visa sponsor operating Intern, Trainee, Teacher and Work & Travel programs, including placements in US hospitality and tourism settings. Comparable to Workaway as a non-profit-sponsored exchange operator placing foreign workers in seasonal US roles.
- International Cooperative Education (ICE): ICE operates J-1 Intern and Trainee programs and Work & Travel placements for international participants at US hospitality employers. It competes with Workaway for the same pool of country-club and resort placements and shares the bundled-service model (housing, insurance, support).
- Greenheart Exchange: Greenheart Exchange is a designated J-1 visa sponsor operating Work & Travel, Summer Work Travel and intern programs that channel foreign nationals into US seasonal employers. Comparable to Workaway in placing international workers at US hospitality employers and bundling support services.
- Alliance Abroad Group: Alliance Abroad sponsors J-1 Work & Travel and J-1 intern/trainee participants placed at US hospitality employers, including resorts, theme parks and country clubs. It runs a near-identical international-placement model to Workaway, making it the closest direct comparable for seasonal cross-border hospitality staffing.
Emerging players
- Hcareers: Hcareers is a US hospitality-focused job marketplace connecting employers (including country clubs and resorts) with hourly and management candidates. It is an emerging, partial-overlap comparison: like Workaway, it serves the same employer segment, but delivers a B2C candidate marketplace rather than a sponsored work-visa program.
- CAPA The Global Education Network: CAPA arranges international internships and work placements, including in hospitality, primarily for university students. It overlaps with Workaway on cross-border hospitality placements but is more educationally anchored and smaller in seasonal country-club volume.
Broad incumbents
- Adecco Group: Adecco is a global staffing leader with hospitality staffing lines in the US and an international recruitment footprint that occasionally crosses borders. It is a broad incumbent reference point for Workaway's business model (program-fee-based placement and ongoing support), though it is not specialized in H-2B country-club placements.
- Robert Half International: Robert Half is a large US staffing firm with a dedicated hospitality placement arm (since the AccessPoint acquisition) serving hotels, clubs and resorts. Comparable to Workaway in serving private-club employers with seasonal staff, though its placements are predominantly domestic rather than visa-sponsored.
- CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): CIEE is one of the largest US J-1 visa sponsors and runs a broad portfolio of international work, intern and cultural exchange programs including Work & Travel at hospitality employers. It is a broader incumbent than Workaway with a wider program menu, but its hospitality-side work-travel placements are a direct functional equivalent.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Workaway International social profiles
Digital presenceWorkaway International financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Workaway International leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Workaway International funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Workaway International M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Workaway International
What does Workaway International do?
Workaway International recruits hospitality professionals (primarily from South Africa) and places them into seasonal H2B visa-sponsored roles at exclusive US country clubs. The full-service offering spans recruitment interviews, H-2B visa application assistance, paid flights, pre-departure orientation, furnished accommodation coordination, free medical insurance, and guaranteed minimum work hours with partner employers across Florida and other US states.
Is Workaway International a public or private company?
Workaway International is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Workaway International founded?
Workaway International was founded in 1998. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Workaway International based?
Workaway International is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Workaway International make money?
One revenue line is on record: participant Placement Services.
Who are Workaway International's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are InterExchange, Cultural Vistas, International Cooperative Education (ICE), Greenheart Exchange and Alliance Abroad Group. Emerging players are Hcareers and CAPA The Global Education Network. Broad incumbents are Adecco Group, Robert Half International and CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange).
Does Workaway International have an API?
No public API is recorded for Workaway International.
What industry is Workaway International in?
Workaway International's product category is International Hospitality Staffing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIAFAD, Paid Placement & Au Pair/Working Holiday Placement Programs, with a secondary code of EDAIAFAK, Internship Visa, Work Authorization & Compliance Services. Its NAICS code is 56132 and its SIC code is 7361.