From 8 to 10 November, local stakeholders and global investors will congregate in Umhlanga, KZN to attend the annual South Africa GBS Investor Conference and BPESA Alchemy Awards. And while global business services (GBS) and business process outsourcing (BPO) are both well-established in South Africa, the sector has seen a massive spike in growth and interest over the past two years – with Africa also standing to benefit.
“For more than two decades, South Africa has enjoyed a presence in the GBS sector but its sudden popularity on the global market is not only significant for the local economy, but opens up the continent to extensive employment opportunities,” explained Reshni Singh, CEO of BPESA. “For the past two years, South Africa has been voted the ‘most preferred’ customer experience (CX) destination internationally, and the upcoming South Africa GBS Investor Conference and BPESA Alchemy Awards will entrench this even further. That’s all good news for Africa!”
Why companies are choosing South Africa for GBS
1. South Africa’s resilient GBS sector
When Covid-19 hit in 2020, many big organisations, brands and operators in the BPO sector were at a loss as many offshore destinations implemented lockdown measures that hindered operations. Because the South African BPO and GBS private sector has such a good relationship with government, BPO was allocated as an essential service which allowed for uninterrupted operations. The sector growth was apparent by the 17 500 new jobs created in GBS during hard lockdown in 2020.
2. Need for risk mitigation
The resilience and agility shown by South Africa along with the superior service and capabilities on offer made the international buyer community sit up and take notice that South Africa is an attractive & viable offshore destination. Looking at the supply chain risks as a result of Covid-19 and lockdown restrictions, companies were now searching for alternate geographies with South Africa coming out on top.
3. Upscaling opportunities
Because South Africa has been operating in the contact centre and shared services space for more than two decades, the country has an embedded maturity along with scale from a talent and skills perspective, but further to this, South Africa has the ability to expand from a geographical perspective. GBS is not just concentrated in one or two areas, but has the infrastructure to support growing sites in untapped Tier II areas throughout the country including provinces, cities and towns.
4. Financial services strength
For many global investors in GBS, South Africa offers an incredibly attractive price point from an exchange rate perspective. From a communication perspective, South Africa has a large English-speaking base and cultural affinity with various source markets such as Australia, the United Kingdom and North America.
5. There is impact sourcing
Considering the global need to run a purposeful business with a positive social impact that considers DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging) as well as ESG (environmental, social and governance) – South Africa is ticking all the boxes. The country has a large pool of underutilised, enthusiastic youth keen for upskilling and the digital advancements found in the sector offering deep, relevant, transferable skills which can lead to life-long employment and career advancement. This is a step in the right direction towards mitigating the country’s high levels of youth unemployment. There is further supported by a strong public-private partnership with embedded government incentives that support growth in GBS.
6. A proven track record
Global operators who don’t have an existing footprint in South Africa are being prompted by current clients to consider this as a delivery destination. This is because the global buyers’ community has shared the positive customer engagement results being experienced from the country in terms of engaging and empathetic services-oriented skills across CX, sales and support.
7. The gateway to Africa
South Africa’s established position as the largest GBS location on the continent, alongside growth potential for global brands with the emergence of the Africa Free Trade Agreement, is encouraging investors to come in and tap into an expanded consumer base utilising South Africa as the entry and service gateway.
During the three-day engagement, this national conference will offer several opportunities for domestic stakeholders and international investors to convene, learn, co-create, and discover the many benefits South Africa offers as an attractive, scaleable offshore location. Attended by a broad array of industry stakeholders, they will be connected with sector specialists, thought-provoking panel discussions, knowledge-sharing workshops, masterclasses, BPO site visits and networking sessions. The event culminates in a celebration of the country’s world-class talent at the BPESA Alchemy Awards Banquet running under the Theme of ‘SA’s Got GBS Talent’.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to become part of this historic event that further positions the country as the leading business process outsourcing (BPO) destination that unlocks investment and job opportunities. Special thanks are extended to regional host partners, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) with our regional host partners the KZN Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (KZN EDTEA), Trade and Investment KZN (TIKZN), Invest Durban and the eThekwini Municipality, event sponsors GGDA, WNS, Outworx, Synergy, Blake, TransUnion and RewardsCo.
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