Workforce shortages, major projects, new air links: The opportunities in Fiji
South Australia’s steady and structurally complex economic growth is opening the door to deeper trade, investment and workforce partnerships with Fiji, following a high‑level roundtable hosted by BDO South Australia.
The roundtable, held in partnership with Investment Fiji, was led by His Excellency Mr Ajay Bhai Amrit, High Commissioner to Australia, and the Honourable Esrom Immanuel, Fiji’s Minister for Finance, Business Development and Commerce.
It brought together 25 senior delegates from government and commerce from Fiji, alongside South Australian business, government and advisory leaders.
Participants included Chris Wood, Executive Director of Invest SA, BDO Office Managing Partner Rudy Pieck, BDO Chief Economist Anders Magnusson and BDO National Business Services Partner Matt Laming.
The purpose of the roundtable was to advance trade and investment engagement between Fiji and South Australia, with discussion focused on practical pathways for collaboration as both economies navigate demographic change and shifting global supply chains.
Economic realities shaping the opportunity
During the session, BDO Chief Economist Anders Magnusson outlined the evolving South Australian economic landscape, noting that while the state continues to grow, performance remains uneven and subject to environmental shocks.
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Growth of the Adelaide economy and the mining sector masked contraction in several regional economies in 2024/25, while structural pressures – including an ageing population, long‑term housing undersupply and major infrastructure programs such as AUKUS – are intensifying competition for labour across construction, health, aged care and professional services.
“South Australia has one of the most diverse economies in the country, which gives it resilience,” Magnusson said.
“But that doesn’t solve workforce constraints. The challenge now is how we build capacity at the scale and speed required to deliver on the opportunities ahead.”
Roundtable discussion highlights shared priorities
The roundtable discussion reinforced that workforce availability is no longer a short‑term issue, but a defining feature of South Australia’s economic transition – and a key area of opportunity for collaboration with Fiji.
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Participants explored how temporary workforce mobility, skills development pathways and structured migration programs could deliver mutual benefits, supporting South Australia’s labour needs while creating opportunities for skills transfer, income growth and remittances for Fiji.
The conversation also highlighted growing interest among South Australian businesses in near‑shoring and de‑risking supply chains, opening opportunities for partnership across business services, back‑office operations, agribusiness, education, tourism‑related infrastructure and professional services.
Importantly, the discussion emphasised that successful engagement will depend on long‑term, well‑governed partnerships built on trust, rather than transactional arrangements.
Doing business in South Australia
BDO National Leader, Business Services Matt Laming shared insights into how South Australian businesses operate, noting that the state’s business culture is strongly relationship‑driven, pragmatic and focused on long‑term value.
“South Australian businesses and investors are looking for strategic, de‑risked opportunities,” Laming said.
“They value transparency, reliability and mutual benefit, and they’re increasingly open to partnerships that strengthen capability and resilience over the long term.”
New connectivity, new momentum
With new direct flights now connecting Adelaide and Fiji, participants agreed there is renewed momentum to translate dialogue into action. Improved connectivity is expected to accelerate business engagement, investment discussions and people‑to‑people links between the two regions.
Despite differences in scale, both Fiji and South Australia are diversified economies. Fiji’s young population and tourism‑led model complements South Australia’s ageing population and services‑led economy, creating natural alignment for more complex cooperation than has defined the relationship in the past.
With demographic change, infrastructure investment and global uncertainty reshaping both economies, the roundtable concluded that the next phase of the South Australia–Fiji relationship lies in deeper collaboration across workforce development, trade, investment, education and professional services.
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