Whether you’re looking to purchase a collection of laptops for your employees or you’re on the market for a single machine for your own use, you want to choose a laptop that’s durable, robust, powerful, secure, portable, and easy to use.
South Africans looking for business laptops have a wide selection to choose from, with manufacturers such as Lenovo, HP, Dell, Apple and Microsoft offering devices suited to different professional requirements. From lightweight laptops designed for travel to powerful machines for demanding workloads, the right choice depends on how and where you work.
With so many options available, narrowing down the best business laptop can be challenging. This guide explores five established laptop models, highlighting the features that made them appealing to professionals. Although these models come from earlier generations, we’ve also included current alternatives to help you compare newer configurations available in South Africa.
There are several laptops that offer the power, functionality, durability, features, and portability that professionals require to conduct business efficiently in South Africa.
Below, we look at five business laptops from previous generations, covering their performance, portability, security and everyday usability. We’ve also included currently available alternatives from relevant laptop ranges.
A premium laptop in the ThinkPad category, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a great choice for South African business professionals. Thanks to the 11th Gen Intel CPU, not only does this model offer impressive performance capabilities, but because the chassis weighs around 2.5 pounds, measures less than 16 mm thin, and features a battery life of up to 15 hours, it’s also incredibly portable. Powerful quad speakers allow for great sound capabilities, and a 14-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio offers crystal clear clarity.
With multiple ports, you’ll have no trouble plugging in all of your accessories. Of course, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is also outfitted with all of the classic ThinkPad features, including a durable MIL-STD-810H durability testing, an excellent keyboard, and stealth-styled black and red aesthetics.
Lenovo’s ThinkPad range continues to be a popular choice for business professionals, offering durable designs, comfortable keyboards and features suited to professional workloads. Current ThinkPad and ThinkBook models provide different configurations for users prioritising portability, performance and business productivity.
HP is one of the most trusted names in the laptop market, and simply put, their EliteBook X360 1040 G7 is one of the best business laptops your money can buy. The stunning chassis features a flexible hinge, so you can easily convert it from laptop to tablet and back again with the simple flick of a wrist. A 14-inch vividly bright display adds to the thoughtful design and ease of use that the EliteBook X360 1040 G7 provides.
Thanks to the comfortable keyboard, you’ll be able to get your work done with ease, and with super-fast performance, as well as an array of security features, such as MIL-SPEC-810 rated durability, a fingerprint log-in sensor, and an IR camera, it’s really a delight to use.
Rounding out the key features that make this one of the best business laptops in South Africa include a powerful 10th Gen Intel CPU and up to 11 hours of battery life, for long-lasting portability.
HP’s EliteBook range remains focused on business productivity, security and portability. Newer configurations include traditional business laptops and convertible models, with different processors, display sizes and connectivity options to suit professional environments.
If you’re an Apple user, the MacBook Pro (13-inch M1) is definitely a laptop that you should consider for business. Released in 2020, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1 marked Apple’s transition away from Intel processors in its Mac lineup, introducing the company’s own silicon architecture to the MacBook Pro. The M1 chip uses a 5-nanometre process and integrates an eight-core CPU, graphics processing, unified memory architecture and Apple’s Neural Engine.
As if that wasn’t impressive enough, it also boasts an eight-core processor, a unified memory build, integrated graphics, as well as Apple’s Neural Engine. Rounding out the list of features is an enhanced signal processor and the famed Apple Secure Enclave. All of these elements combined make for a faster, more robust laptop that is excellent for business.
Apple’s MacBook Pro range has evolved considerably since the introduction of the M1 chip. Newer MacBook Pro models offer updated Apple silicon, different display sizes and configurations suited to software development, creative work and demanding business applications.
A list of the best business laptops in South Africa wouldn’t be complete without the Microsoft Surface Pro 7+. Microsoft has long been hailed for their thoughtfully-designed laptops, and the Surface Pro 7+ is definitely one of the best they have ever offered. It features an SSD that can be swapped out, 4G LTE connectivity, and 11th Gen Intel CPUs, which come together to give this machine plenty of reliable power that’s perfect for business use.
The enhanced battery life and lightweight, yet durable design, allow for easy transport. With an optional Type Cover and compatible Surface Pen, as well as a bright and vivid 12.3-inch display, it’s easy and comfortable to use. The Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ also comes with a USB-C port for charging and connecting peripheral accessories, too.
Microsoft’s newer Surface devices continue to combine portability with features designed for professional use. The range includes traditional Surface Laptop models and versatile Surface Pro devices, making it worth comparing screen size, processor compatibility, connectivity and available accessories before choosing a configuration.
The original Google Pixelbook, released in 2017, was a premium Chromebook designed to combine portability, versatility and cloud-based productivity. Its lightweight aluminium construction and flexible 360-degree hinge allowed it to function as either a conventional laptop or a tablet-style device.
The Pixelbook featured a 12.3-inch touchscreen with a 2400 × 1600 resolution, seventh-generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, and configurations offering 8GB or 16GB of RAM. It also supported the optional Pixelbook Pen for handwriting and digital note-taking.
Although the original Pixelbook is now an older device, it illustrates the benefits of ChromeOS for professionals who primarily rely on web applications, cloud storage and Google’s productivity tools. Buyers looking for a newer Chromebook should compare current hardware, software support and compatibility with their business requirements.
Form and function aren’t all that this laptop offers; it’s also super-stylish. In addition to 7th generation Intel Kaby Lake processors, it’s also outfitted with a gorgeous 2,400 x 1,600 display, UHD graphics, and a 13.3-inch full HD or 4K LCD touchscreen. It’s Pixelbook Pen compatible (which has to be purchased separately, unfortunately), too.
For professionals who mainly use cloud-based applications, modern Chromebooks provide an alternative to traditional Windows and macOS laptops. Current models from manufacturers such as Acer and ASUS offer different levels of performance, portability and storage. Before choosing a Chromebook for business, make sure the software and services your organisation relies on are compatible with ChromeOS.
Choosing the best business laptop depends on your daily workload, working environment and the software your organisation uses. Performance, security, durability, portability and battery life are all important considerations, particularly for professionals who rely on their laptops throughout the working day.
The five models discussed above demonstrate how different manufacturers have approached business computing, from lightweight productivity laptops to premium convertible devices. While these earlier-generation models provide useful comparisons, newer configurations offer updated processors, connectivity and security features.
When comparing business laptops, consider factors such as processor performance, RAM, storage capacity, operating system, warranty and compatibility with your existing business software. You can also explore the current range of laptops available in South Africa to compare specifications across different manufacturers.
