Large, Educated Talent Pool

Companies like Amazon have discovered that ramping up a call center operation in South Africa — whether on-premise or work-from-home — can be accomplished quickly and efficiently. South African call center outsourcers draw top talent from a large population of young, well-educated, tech-savvy individuals currently estimated at 16.5 million, with 410,000 English-speaking individuals added to the national workforce each year. 

 While cost savings can be significant for large global brands, consistently high quality and performance of South African call centers have attracted many leading US, UK, Canadian, and European,  corporations, including BMW, Samsung, Barclays, GE and more. While South Africa operates in the same time zone as many European countries, quite a few US brands are prioritizing the quality of the customer experience over time zone convenience when selecting an outsourcing destination. 

 Despite significant market growth, the call center labor market remains unsaturated. Call centers and BPOs are located in South African cities near local universities with access to a plentiful source of educated job candidates. Cape Town, the most mature call center location is home to the largest and most skilled call center talent pool, along with exceptional infrastructure and quality of life. The BPO sector in cities like Johannesburg and Durban are also expanding at a fast pace. 

 To prepare for hosting the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup, South Africa underwent major infrastructure improvements. Years later, South Africa’s government is once again investing in new infrastructure. Over the next decade, the government plans to invest $133 billion in new infrastructure, including seven digital infrastructure projects to meet the new and growing demand for virtual services.