Regional Overview

• Market coverage: The series draws on data from 63 consulting firms in total (23 in the UAE, 19 in Saudi Arabia, and 21 in South Africa) and spans up to 40 Lines of Business, excluding Pure Strategy Consulting.
• Lines of Business: Clear differences emerge across pay, scale, and growth by service line.
  Highest-paying Lines of Business (excluding Pure Strategy) include Big Data and Analytics, Digital Strategy and Transformation Consulting, Strategy-Oriented Management Consulting, IT Strategy Consulting, IT Infrastructure Consulting, Actuarial Consulting Services, and IT “Hot Skills.”
  The largest Lines of Business by headcount are Operations-Based Management Consulting, IT Implementation Consulting, and Audit Services.
  The fastest-growing Lines of Business by year-on-year headcount include IT Risk and Cybersecurity Consulting, Big Data and Analytics, Digital Strategy and Transformation Consulting, Transfer Tax / Pricing, Human Resources Consulting, and Energy, Environment, and Sustainability Consulting.
• Career progression: Consulting careers in the region follow long-term trajectories. Average time from Analyst to Partner ranges from approximately 24.5 to 26 years across the three markets.
• Compensation positioning: Median compensation levels in the UAE and Saudi Arabia sit closer to U.S. benchmarks than in South Africa, with pay gaps narrowing at senior levels. Across all markets, compensation varies materially by Line of Business.
  
• Bonuses: Bonuses represent a meaningful component of total compensation. Average median bonus levels across all Lines of Business and levels range from 14% to 15% of fixed salary.
  
• Starting salaries: Entry-level pay varies widely by market, degree level, and Line of Business, reinforcing the need for role-specific benchmarking.
  

Taken together, this brief collection highlights how consulting markets across the Middle East and Africa differ in scale and specialization, while sharing common career structures and increasing demand for technology- and risk-focused consulting services.

For more detail, download the full Middle East and Africa stat sheet series below.