How many employees work at Sappi?
Sappi Ltd. (SAP) has approximately 10,599 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Sappi’s total headcount has declined 2.9% from 10,910 employees in 2023 to 10,599 in 2026.
Is Sappi hiring right now?
Yes, Sappi is actively hiring. Sappi had 142 active job postings in 2026, a 33.7% increase from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About Sappi’s Workforce
Sappi Ltd. (SAP) is a Materials Manufacturing company that employs 10,599 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 11th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1936, the company is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa and trades on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange.
Sappi's workforce has declined 2.9% from 2023 to 2026, down 1.2% year over year in 2026. Its workforce is concentrated most in Sub-Saharan Africa (56.0%), followed by Western Europe (18.3%) and North America (16.3%).
Sappi's functional groups are Finance and Operations (41.3%), Engineering (29.4%), and Sales and Marketing (29.3%). The average salary is $42,391, ranging from a median of $74,000 in North America to $19,000 in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Sappi's active job postings rose 33.7% in 2026 to 142, with new postings per month cooling from 103 in 2023 to 63 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is negative and declining.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Ticker
- Johannesburg Securities Exchange: SAP
- Headquarters
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Founded
- 1936
- Industry
- Materials Manufacturing
- Employees
- 10,599
- YoY
- -1.2% (-176)
As of March 2026
Sappi workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for Sappi. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsSappi Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- Sappi had 10,599 employees in 2026, a 1.2% decline (-176) from 2025.
- Sappi had 10,646 employees in 2025, a 0.8% decline (-106) from 2024.
- Sappi had 10,752 employees in 2024, a 0.4% increase (-1) from 2023.
- Sappi had 10,753 employees in 2023, a 0.6% increase (-21) from 2022.
Sappi's total workforce has declined from 10,910 employees in 2023 to 10,599 in 2026.
Sappi Ltd. quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 10,599 | -176 | -1.2% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 10,646 | -106 | -0.8% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 10,675 | -54 | -0.4% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 10,809 | -27 | -0.1% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 10,775 | +24 | +0.3% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 10,752 | -1 | +0.4% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 10,729 | -72 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 10,836 | -74 | +0.3% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 10,751 | -103 | +0.3% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 10,753 | -21 | +0.6% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 10,801 | +27 | +0.4% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 10,910 | +34 | +0.5% |
See Sappi's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataSappi Employee Count by Region (2026)
Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for the largest share of Sappi's global workforce with approximately 56% of total employees, followed by Western Europe and North America.
Sappi employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 5,857 | 56.0% |
| Western Europe | 1,911 | 18.3% |
| North America | 1,701 | 16.3% |
| Eastern Europe | 320 | 3.1% |
| Northern Europe | 310 | 3.0% |
| Southern Europe | 205 | 2.0% |
| East Asia | 66 | 0.6% |
| Central America and the Caribbean | 26 | 0.3% |
| South Asia | 14 | 0.1% |
| South America | 12 | 0.1% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataSappi Employee Count by Department (2026)
Sappi's employee groups are Finance and Operations (41.3%), Engineering (29.4%), and Sales and Marketing (29.3%).
Sappi employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 4,274 | 41.3% |
| Engineering | 3,044 | 29.4% |
| Sales and Marketing | 3,028 | 29.3% |
Compare Sappi's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataSappi Employee Salary by Region (2026)
Sappi's average employee salary is $42,391 globally. Employees in North America receive the highest compensation, with median pay approximately 1.7x the global average. Pay is lowest in Sub-Saharan Africa, at a median of $19,000.
Sappi median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| North America | $74,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $66,000 |
| Northern Europe | $58,000 |
| Western Europe | $54,000 |
| East Asia | $40,000 |
| Arab States | $32,000 |
| Southern Europe | $32,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $23,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $23,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $21,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $19,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $15,000 |
| South America | $15,000 |
| South Asia | $6,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to Sappi's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataSappi Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- Sappi had 142 active job postings in 2026, a 33.7% increase (+7) from 2025.
- Sappi had 135 active job postings in 2025, a 6.1% increase (+8) from 2024.
- Sappi had 127 active job postings in 2024, a 13.2% decline (-18) from 2023.
- Sappi had 145 active job postings in 2023, a 10.1% increase from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 63 new roles/month, down from 81 in 2025 and 127 in 2024.
Sappi's active job postings rose 33.7% in 2026 to 142, with new postings per month cooling from 103 in 2023 to 63 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataSappi Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across Sappi's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is negative and has declined year over year in 2026.
Overall
Unlock the full sentiment breakdown by department, tenure, and trend over time.
Unlock SentimentSimilar Companies
Similar Materials Manufacturing Companies by Employee Count
Frequently Asked Questions About Sappi
- How fast is Sappi growing?
- In 2026, Sappi's headcount shrank 1.2% to 10,599 employees, down from 10,775 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are Sappi employees located?
- Most Sappi employees are based in Sub-Saharan Africa (56.0% of headcount), followed by Western Europe and North America.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at Sappi?
- The average employee salary at Sappi is approximately $42.4k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does Sappi open per year?
- In Q1 2026, Sappi opened 190 new job postings. In 2025, Sappi opened 972 new job postings — about 81 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was Sappi founded and where is it headquartered?
- Sappi was founded in 1936 and is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa.
- Compare Sappi to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about Sappi.
Book a DemoSee something that doesn't look right? Reach out and our team will review it.