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Cape Town, South Africa, Mar 20, 2023 - The City of Cape Town’s business process outsourcing (BPO) sector now employs more than 70 000 people.

This number is anticipated to grow in the coming months, as UK-based Arvato CRM Solutions plans to begin operations from Cape Town, reveals the city’s alderman James Vos.

Vos, the city’s mayoral committee member for economic opportunities and asset management, was speaking on the occasion of a site visit to two recently-opened call centres.

The site visits were to Wipro Africa Delivery Centre in Century City, which is a joint venture with local mobile data platform, Rain, and Sigma’s office in Woodstock.

Including its Woodstock team, outsourcing specialist Sigma employs 3 000 people in five call centres around the city, notes Vos, adding that their other centres are located in Diep River, Retreat, Mitchells Plain and Athlone.

"I’m also excited to share that graduates from the Cape Skills and Employment Accelerator form part of the staff employed at these call centres," he says.

"This initiative is funded primarily by the city and the National Skills Fund that provides training and workplace experience in high growth industries for previously unemployed South African youth and women."

Commenting on Arvato, Vos indicates the company will be servicing clients from Cape Town, via international e-commerce company, Techsembly.

The BPO sector, commonly referred to as the call centre sector, has been tipped as a catalyst in the fight against joblessness, particularly among local youth.

South Africa has fast become one of the most favoured locations internationally for BPO companies, with the sector targeting 500 000 new jobs by 2030, based on industry estimates.

In Cape Town, the provincial government has earmarked the sector as a priority industry to boost the local economy and extend job opportunities to more Capetonians.

In 2021, the international BPO market in Cape Town contributed around R14 billion to the metro’s economy.

"Thanks to the city’s investment into skills development and promoting Cape Town as an ideal call centre hub via our industry partner, CapeBPO, the metro has indeed become a world-renowned and sought-after destination for BPO companies.

"Realising the potential of Cape Town’s high-growth industries will further boost the local economy and extend job opportunities to even more Capetonians," Vos concludes.

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Posted by Veronica Silva Cusi, news correspondent
Source: https://www.itweb.co.za

Date Posted: Tuesday, March 21, 2023