Taiwanese computer maker ASUS says it has doubled its staff numbers in South Africa over the last 18 months.

This comes as the company has "earmarked" South Africa and SADC (Southern African Development Community) for growth.

ASUS has been operational in South Africa for ten years, but the company says it is intent on ramping up activities in the country.

"ASUS is working hard to build relationships within South Africa that will pave the way for even more of its technology to come to the country," says ASUS South Africa country manager Jeff Kuo in a statement.

"ASUS globally has a very specific approach to market expansion, and we are working carefully within that framework to achieve maximum potential in the local market. We are also using our South African operations as a springboard for growth in the SADC region, in collaboration with our partners who already have established distribution networks in these countries," he added.

But ASUS' move to spur on its African growth comes as it is falling behind globally.

Global personal computer shipment statistics revealed by the International Data Corporation (IDC) on Wednesday indicate that Apple has overtaken ASUS to become the world's fifth largest PC maker for the third quarter of 2014.

Apple shipped 4.9 million units during the period.

"Apple moved into the number 5 position on a worldwide basis, slightly overtaking ASUS," the IDC said on Wednesday.

"The company's (Apple's) steady growth, along with recent price cuts and improved demand in mature markets, has helped it to consistently outgrow the market," noted the IDC.

Meanwhile, China's Lenovo is the world's top PC supplier for the quarter as it shipped 15.7 million units.

HP follows with 14.7 million units; Dell shipped over 10 million units, and Acer shipped over 6.6 million units.

Overall, worldwide PC shipments hit 78.5 million units in the period, a year-on-year decline of 1.7% according to the IDC.