If you’re looking for a remote job that you can do from outside the country where the company is headquartered, there are companies that have built their businesses around distributed teams and international hiring.

But there’s an important difference between a job that simply says “remote” and a job that genuinely allows international applicants.

So in this video, I’m going to show you six companies worth checking if you’re looking for global remote work in 2026. I’ll explain what each company does, the types of roles you can find, what the companies say about working from different countries, and what you should check before applying.

Let’s start with GitLab.

GitLab is a software company behind a platform used by organizations to plan, build, secure, and deploy software. What makes GitLab particularly relevant for remote job seekers is that the company operates as an all-remote organization.

GitLab says its workforce is distributed across more than 65 countries, and its careers information states that it is actively hiring for a variety of roles. The company also explains that specific job listings should be checked to determine whether a particular position is available in your country.

That last point is important.

Even though GitLab is a global remote company, you should not assume that every vacancy is available everywhere. GitLab maintains employment infrastructure in specific countries, and some countries have restrictions that apply only to certain roles. Its current published list includes countries such as Kenya and South Africa, for example, while the specific vacancy remains the final authority on eligibility.

The company hires across areas including engineering, sales, marketing, customer support, finance, people operations, and other business functions.

So if you have technical skills, business experience, communication skills, or experience working with customers, GitLab is a company worth monitoring. Verified official careers pages for the placeholders: GitLab Careers

Next is Automattic.

You may recognize Automattic because it is the company behind products and services including WordPress.com and WooCommerce.

Automattic’s careers page is particularly interesting for people searching for location-independent work. The company says employees work from the locations and hours they choose, and its current workforce includes people in 83 countries speaking more than 100 languages.

The company also describes itself as remote-first, with teams distributed around the world.

And Automattic doesn’t only hire software engineers. Its career opportunities can span areas such as engineering, design, product, marketing, customer support, business development, and other functions.

The hiring process begins with an application for a specific opening, and the company says the process can vary depending on the role.

So if you’re interested in working for a global technology company but your background isn’t necessarily in programming, don’t automatically rule Automattic out. Automattic Careers

The third company is Deel.

Deel operates in the global employment and payroll technology space, helping businesses hire and manage workers across different countries.

And the company itself operates as a highly distributed organization. Its careers page currently lists hundreds of open positions across departments including sales, payroll, product and design, engineering, operations, marketing, finance, customer support, data and analytics, and more.

Deel describes itself as a work-from-anywhere company and emphasizes its global workforce.

This makes it particularly interesting for people who want international remote work.

However, there’s another detail you should understand about global companies like Deel: compensation can vary depending on where you live. Deel says its compensation approach is localized, meaning cash compensation or contract value can depend on the role and the country where you work.

So don’t assume that a salary you see for one location will automatically apply to someone working from another country.

If you’re interested in sales, operations, customer support, engineering, finance, payroll, marketing, or product roles, Deel is another careers page worth checking regularly. Deel Careers

Now let’s talk about Zapier.

Zapier is an automation company that connects online tools and helps people automate repetitive tasks. The company says it has been remote-first since 2011 and describes its workforce as distributed. Its current careers page also says, “Join us from anywhere,” while directing applicants to its open positions.

Zapier’s work covers technology, automation, artificial intelligence, customer-facing roles, business operations, marketing, and other functions.

The company also emphasizes asynchronous work, meaning employees don’t necessarily have to be online at exactly the same time as everyone else for every task.

That can be particularly useful in globally distributed teams.

But there is one practical point you should always remember: a company’s overall remote policy does not guarantee that every vacancy is open in every country.

Read the location information attached to the individual job before spending time on an application. Zapier Careers

The fifth company is Remote.

And yes, the company’s name is Remote.

Remote provides technology that helps businesses employ and manage people internationally, including payroll and global employment services.

Its own careers page describes the company as a remote-first, fully asynchronous global organization. It says employees work from locations of their choice and that the team includes more than 90 nationalities across six continents.

Remote currently advertises opportunities across different areas of the business, and the company highlights flexible working hours along with country-specific benefits.

This is another company where the type of role matters.

A position might be open globally, while another position may be restricted to particular countries because of employment, legal, regulatory, or operational requirements.

So when you find an interesting vacancy, read the complete job description rather than relying only on the word “remote.” Remote Careers

And finally, we have Canonical.

Canonical is the company behind Ubuntu and is heavily involved in open-source software, cloud infrastructure, security, and related technologies.

Its careers page currently shows a broad range of home-based positions, including roles listed as worldwide, as well as positions restricted to particular regions such as EMEA, the Americas, or APAC.

Some of the worldwide roles include positions in software engineering, cloud engineering, security, sales, customer success, project management, and other areas.

Canonical says it recruits globally, and individual job listings identify whether a position is home-based worldwide or restricted to a particular region.

That makes Canonical especially interesting for people with technical or professional skills.

But again, worldwide does not mean every job is suitable for every applicant.

You still need to meet the qualifications, experience requirements, and any location or time-zone conditions attached to the specific vacancy.

Now, there’s something important I want you to remember before you start applying to these companies.

The phrase “remote job” has become extremely popular, but remote does not automatically mean worldwide.

A company can have remote employees while restricting individual positions to the United States, Europe, a particular country, or a specific group of time zones.

In fact, current research into work-from-anywhere jobs shows that genuinely location-independent positions are much less common than remote jobs in general.

So whenever you find one of these opportunities, check four things. Canonical Careers

.

First, check the location requirement.

Second, check whether the company accepts applicants who are legally based in your country.

Third, check whether the position is employment, contracting, or another type of working arrangement.

And fourth, check the company’s official careers page before applying, because vacancies can close or change.

If you’re applying from Africa, this step is especially important. For example, GitLab currently lists Kenya and South Africa among countries where it has employment infrastructure, but it also says that hiring can be limited to certain roles in some countries.

And never pay someone simply because they claim they can secure one of these jobs for you.

Use the official careers pages, submit your application through the company’s legitimate application system, and be careful with recruiters who ask for unusual payments or sensitive information through unofficial channels.

The six companies we’ve covered are GitLab, Automattic, Deel, Zapier, Remote, and Canonical.

They operate in different industries and hire for very different types of positions, so don’t just apply everywhere randomly.

Instead, identify the companies where your skills match the work they actually need.

If you have software or cloud skills, companies such as GitLab and Canonical may have relevant opportunities.

If your background is in sales, operations, payroll, customer support, marketing, or other business functions, Deel, Remote, Automattic, and Zapier can also be worth monitoring.

And remember, getting a legitimate remote job is not about finding a magic website that guarantees employment. It’s about finding a real company, matching your skills to a real vacancy, following the application requirements, and applying carefully.

If you want more researched remote jobs, online work, and global career opportunities, subscribe to Work Africa. And let us know in the comments which type of remote job or which country you want us to research next.

Verified official careers pages for the placeholders:

.