By Radarr Africa Business Desk
LAGOS, November 5 (Radarr Africa) – Canva is restructuring its global workforce, affecting 1,271 employees, or 22 per cent of its staff, as the design platform seeks to simplify operations and consolidate teams in centralised offices, according to a report by Nairametrics.
Chief executive Melanie Perkins announced the changes in an email to staff on Wednesday. She described the restructuring as “the most difficult moment in the company’s 13-year history”, the report said.
The exercise involves job losses, changes to existing roles and the relocation of some employees to centralised hubs. Ms Perkins did not disclose how many workers would lose their jobs, so the 1,271 figure is the total affected, not a confirmed number of layoffs, Nairametrics said. She said the restructuring would reduce management layers and bring more teams together physically.
In the staff email, Ms Perkins said the changes would mean some people being asked to relocate to centralised hubs, and acknowledged that relocation decisions are difficult. The company would provide comprehensive support to affected employees, she said.
Employees leaving Canva will receive at least six months’ salary and keep healthcare coverage for another 12 months where the benefit is available, according to the report. They can keep their company laptops and apply for grants of up to $10,000 (about A$14,000) to start their own businesses.
Nairametrics placed the move within a wave of technology job cuts linked to changing market conditions and the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI). It noted that software companies have pushed back against predictions of a “SaaS-pocalypse”, a term for the idea that advanced AI could make specialised software less relevant.
Other companies cited in the report include Atlassian, which cut 1,600 jobs, Block, the owner of Afterpay, and WiseTech Global. Unlike Atlassian, Block and WiseTech, Canva did not specifically mention AI in its announcement, the report said.
The report also pointed to larger moves elsewhere in the sector. Microsoft offered voluntary buyouts to 60,000 employees to contain costs amid rising AI investment, reported on October 27, 2026. Oracle cut about 21,000 jobs globally over the preceding year as it restructured around AI, and disclosed $1.8 billion in severance payments and restructuring charges, reported in June 2026. Nairametrics reported in July 2026 that the 10 largest technology layoff announcements globally had affected more than 76,000 workers.
The report did not give a timeline for the changes, the locations of the centralised hubs, the countries affected or the number of roles actually being eliminated. It cited no source beyond Ms Perkins’s staff email.
The 22 per cent share implies a total workforce of about 5,800 people on Radarr Africa’s calculation from the reported figures, though the report did not state Canva’s headcount.
