The local call centre industry is booming! According to industry standards, its growth over the past four years is at twice the global growth rate and increasing three times faster than past industry leaders, India and the Philippines. So, what are the main factors that are enticing offshore business owners to establish operations in South Africa?

The Quest for Superior Agents

According to South Africa’s specialist offshore investment agency and networking body for the BPO industry (BPESA), international outsourcing to SA is strongly driven by an abundant pool of educated, low-cost, multi-lingual agents. Their good quality English speaking skills, neutral accents and high empathy level gives local agents the upper hand. Plus, their cultural affinity (with the UK, Australia and increasingly, the US) also puts them at a natural advantage. Other appealing factors include the high skill level and committed work ethic of South Africans.

It also really benefits that local Government supports the BPO industry by being invested in learnership programmes, training and incentives. The result of which is breeding a culture of performance – where agents are driven to hit targets.

Round-the-Clock Business Hours

Europe certainly favours SA for their time zone compatibility. But with the capacity for round-the-clock quality service at significantly reduced costs, local call centres now appeal to all parts of the world, across multiple time zones! In fact, both large and small offshore clients are grabbing the golden opportunity of utilising South African contact centres in their night or ‘down time’ to service their client base.

First World Infrastructure

As ‘The Gateway to Africa’, South Africa’s telecommunications infrastructure is considered to be the best on the continent with a network that is 99.9% digital and includes the latest in fixed-line, wireless and satellite communication. The BPO industry is also moving swiftly towards delivery of high-tech digital services that offers clients a multi-channel customer experience, backed by advanced customer analytics and extensive back office fulfilment. In other words, offshore investors can be assured that they receive ‘the full package’ when it comes local call centre servicing.

Get Bang for Your Buck

Research conducted by BPESA reveals that the cost of operations in SA are at least 50-60% lower than those in England and Australia for both voice and non-voice work, making it all the more attractive for companies to establish their outreach from SA.

Setting a Worldwide Trend

The global BPO reach follows on from giant trendsetting companies the likes of Shell, Barclays, Lufthansa and Teletech, all of whom have call centre operations in South Africa. And so, with the rich landscape for BPO investor’s expanding, SA continues to advance in attracting offshore investors.