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South Africa is all set to cash in on the global outsourcing boom by positioning itself as a prospective BPO player. Many local and international players keen on cutting costs by outsourcing non-core functions are expressing interest in this promising country.
The global outsourcing market is worth $930 billion currently and is geared to reach $1.43 trillion by 2009. The South African government in turn is reciprocating big time to impel economic growth in the BPO sector. A recently developed five-year plan that targets BPO foreign investments of $1 billion and 100 000 jobs by 2010 will give impetus to the outsourcing development program in South Africa. International companies like IBM and UK-based Carphone Warehouse already have BPO centers in South Africa and will be joined by other hotshots like Dialogue and Merchant, a Dimension Data subsidiary. Nasdaq-listed TeleTech Holdings’ new center in Cape Town will alone create 2500 jobs in the BPO sector. According to Craig Reines, general manager of TeleTech Africa, "South Africa is a virtually untapped market for offshore BPO. We are attracted by the country's excellent infrastructure, talent, growing labour pool and the widespread use of English." |
