BPESA Newsletter Issue 4 2024

CEO FOREWORD

Dear BPESA Members, Partners and Stakeholders,

As we find ourselves in May 2024, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of pride and optimism for the journey ahead for BPESA and its esteemed members. It gives me great pleasure to present the CEO Foreword, reflecting on our collective achievements and the path we are charting towards even greater success.

Central to BPESA's ethos is our commitment to enhancing membership. We recognise that BPESA is not merely an organisation, but rather a community of members dedicated to serving one another. Through collaborative efforts and shared vision, we endeavour to foster an environment where each member flourishes, driving growth and innovation within the industry.

In the year 2024, we take pride in showcasing the beautiful partnerships we have forged with national and governmental bodies. These partnerships have played a pivotal role in achieving significant milestones in skills development, propelling us closer to our ambitious goal of creating 500,000 jobs by 2030. Together, we are cultivating a workforce equipped with the requisite skills to thrive in the digital era.

SOUTH AFRICA'S PROPOSITION

Our enhanced international partnerships, particularly with the UK and US, remain a cornerstone of our success. These robust source markets offer invaluable opportunities for collaboration and expansion, bolstering our global presence.

The ever-evolving digital landscape, coupled with the emergence of AI, continues to redefine our industry. Through innovation and adaptation, we are ensuring that digital and ITO services remain resilient and continually advancing, driving efficiency and productivity to new heights.

Moreover, our industry continues to make significant progress in key areas such as visa regulations and the promotion of world-class cities on the global stage. These endeavours not only enhance our international competitiveness but also underscore South Africa's standing as a leading global offshoring destination.

As we celebrate South Africa's achievement as the recently announced second-ranking Global Offshoring destination in the annual Ryan Strategic Advisory Omnibus ''Most preferred Offshore CX destination'' Survey, let us reflect on

this milestone as a testament to the remarkable progress of our sector. Together, we have surmounted challenges and seized opportunities, positioning ourselves for even greater accomplishments in the years ahead.

In conclusion, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to each and every member of the BPESA community. Your dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment to excellence continue to inspire us all. Together, let us continue to push boundaries, drive innovation, and shape the future of our industry.

Best regards,

Reshni Singh CEO

ANGELA KAYS

SOUTH AFRICA'S BPO SECTOR SURGES IN 2024

DEMAND STIMULATION

DEMAND STIMULATION

2024 has gotten off to a great start with the International BPO’s, brokers and clients either returning to South Africa to complete negotiations, or start their new operations.

At the BPESA AGM, I spoke about the steady flow, of mostly US organisations, who visited SA in January looking to finalise plans to work with SA BPO partners. This trend has continued until April and as an industry we will see exciting developments regarding new business in the coming months.

At the time of writing, the SA pipeline from the US of new campaigns, and BPO company expansions resulting in additional requests for more space, additional people, expanded skills training is increasing including additional business for our vendor companies who support the sector so well.

The quarterly jobs report numbers support the optimism regarding the potential growth of the US market

South Africa is likely to move through the 30% of total agents serving the US market in the FY2024/2025. The last two quarterly jobs reports show the majority of agents supporting the US market.

Having remarked on the buoyancy of the US market, it is important to acknowledge that the UK market still remains our key source market for offshored business as major UK brands acknowledge South Africa’s BPO operators ability to deliver exceptional customer service, as reflected in the awards South Africa continues to win.

BPESA and our partners, Harambee and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) remain committed to supporting the Global Business Services (GBS) sector and look forward to welcoming new BPO operators and new campaigns to the county in the coming months.

The Philippines and South Africa tie for the silver medal, Malaysia places 3rd; low favorability marks for Honduras and Serbia.

India retains the title of most favored offshore CX delivery destination in 2024, according to this year’s Front Office CX Omnibus Survey by Ryan Strategic Advisory. This marks the second year in a row that India has topped the annual survey of 750 enterprise contact center buyers from 11 key demand markets, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain, the UK and the USA. As in the past, the survey was conducted via telephone in the participant’s local language, and respondents were asked to rank the favorability of over 40 nearshore and offshore destinations for contact center delivery into their market.

India scored highly across Englishspeaking markets, placing as the most favored offshore delivery point in Canada, the UK and Australia, marginally pipping South Africa at the post in each of these key demand markets. India also performed well in buyer favorability in the USA and Singapore.

Tying for second place in this year’s offshore CX delivery location ranking are the Philippines and South Africa. Canadian, British, Singaporean, and Australian captive contact center leaders ranked South Africa highly, and it was overwhelmingly the most popular

offshore delivery point among American participants. In the case of the Philippines, the Asia-Pacific BPO powerhouse enjoys exceptional favorability from respondents across all English-language locations surveyed, as well as in Japan.

Malaysia placed third in the offshore CX favorability rankings in 2024. A darling of Australian and Japanese enterprise contact center leaders, Malaysia scored very well in these markets, and it was a close second among Singapore’s participants. However, Malaysia’s appeal appears to be waning in the UK and Canada, where it failed to crack the top 5.

Central & Eastern Europe mainstay Poland maintained its fourth place ranking in 2024, unchanged from last year. Much of this had to do with a solid level of favorability in Germany, where it was tied for the most-favored location with European nearshore rival Egypt. Poland also had strong appeal across other demand markets in Europe, especially the UK.

Egypt and Morocco tie for fifth place in the 2024 offshore CX favorability rankings. Egypt’s best showing was in Germany, where it tied for the top spot with Poland. It also did very well in the UK and Canada, and was competitive in France.to the county in the coming months.

Source: Ryan Strategic Advisory.

DIGITAL INSIGHTS

NEVILLE COUSINS

EMBRACING TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS: REVOLUTIONISING BUSINESS PROCESSES AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

In today's dynamic business landscape, technological advancements are reshaping the way organisations operate, catalysing transformative changes in business processes. From small start-ups to multinational corporations, the impact of technology on business operations cannot be overstated. Particularly within the realm of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), these advancements are driving efficiency, agility, and innovation like never before.

One of the most notable impacts of technology on business processes is the automation revolution. With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and robotic process automation (RPA), routine and repetitive tasks can now be streamlined and executed with unprecedented speed and accuracy. This shift liberates human resources from mundane activities, allowing them to focus on higher-value tasks that require creativity, critical thinking, and strategic decision-making.

For the BPO community, this translates into enhanced service delivery and improved client satisfaction. By leveraging automation technologies, BPO firms can optimise their workflows, reduce operational costs, and accelerate turnaround times. Whether it's data entry,

customer support, or back-office operations, automation empowers BPO providers to deliver services with greater efficiency and scalability.

Moreover, technology-enabled collaboration and communication are transforming the way BPO operators provide customer experience. Cloud computing platforms, project management tools, and virtual communication software facilitate real-time collaboration, breaking down barriers of time and space. This seamless collaboration ensures that customer queries and concerns are addressed promptly and effectively, enhancing overall customer satisfaction.

However, amidst these technological advancements, BPO operators face threats to their business posed by the rise of self-service options. With the proliferation of AI-powered chatbots, interactive voice response systems, and self-help portals, customers increasingly prefer to resolve issues independently without human intervention. This trend challenges BPO providers to redefine their value proposition and differentiate themselves through personalised, high-touch customer experiences.

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NATIONAL UPDATE

YOGAN NAIDOO

KWAZULU-NATAL & WESTERN

CAPE REGIONAL EXECUTIVE

LYNN DAVIS

GAUTENG & EASTERN CAPE

REGIONAL EXECUTIVE

An Update from Yogan Naidoo KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape Regional Executive:

The remarkable, recent successes of 2024 provides us, yet again, yet again, to deliver absolute and consistent value to our existing members and, our new incoming members.

As such, after considered discussions, we have in principle commitment from Trade and Investment KZN (TIKZN) to funding and supporting the research and development of the following: the revision of the KZN Value Proposition Development, the conceptualisation and detailed implementation plan for the KZN Regional Incentive Development and, the KZN GBS Precinct Development. The formal proposal has already been delivered to TIKZN and we await their response on how we now proceed.

Off the December 2023 engagement with the KZN Department of Labour, the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry and, the eThekwini Mayor’s Office we have been submitted a formal proposal

combined with letters of support from our KZN operators on a pioneering GBS Job Creation Programme to the Department of Labour for KZN. In the build up to our 2024 membership renewal drive, we conducted an informal membership survey on the BPESA value proposition to selected KZN and Western Cape (WC) members, asking specifically what BPESA needs to do in 2024 to enhance or add further value to its members.

This was also supported by a structured discussion internally on how we, as BPESA, revisit the membership tiers, the attendant pricing, overall membership brochure content and, ensuring that each portfolio comprehensively demonstrates – to our new and existing members as well as partners and stakeholders– the value that BPESA offers.

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GAUTENG

EASTERN CAPE

WESTERN CAPE

Connecting Employers to Engaged & Talented Work Seekers

CONNECTING EMPLOYERS TO ENGAGED AND TALENTED WORK-SEEKERS

PARTNERS CAN:

• List their opportunities for youth - jobs, learnerships, apprenticeships, internships, volunteering, entrepreneurial progammes, social programmes

• Source suitable talent from a large database of entry level work-seekers

• Get work-seeker support to make themselves more employable

• Get support via multiple channels – the datafree mobi-site, WhatsApp, e-mail, a toll free hotline, social Media

BPESA MEMBER EVENTS

DEMAND FORUMS

DIGITAL INSIGHTS WEBINARS

ANNUAL BPESA GBS | CONFERNCE ALCHEMY

QUARTERLY HR FORUMS

QUARTERLY TRANSFORMATION FORUMS

SKILLS PORTFOLIO

The BPESA Skills and Special Projects team has successfully partnered with BPESA member employers, training academies and training organisations to launch a “Women Only” beneficiary project which is funded by The Coca Cola Foundation (TCCF). The project aims to upskill and future skill unemployed young women and bridge the gap to unemployment by transitioning them into sustainable entry-level agent roles in the GBS sector.

Exciting News from BPESA!

We’ve advanced to the second phase of the Jobs Boost funding application and have successfully submitted a proposal. BPESA has received an overwhelming response from the sector for committed demand, demonstrating the need to grow and scale BPESA funded skills projects for our members. Crossing our fingers for funding success! Let's make our proposal a reality!

The partnership between BPESA and the Graduate Institute of Financial Sciences (GIFS) has made notable strides in advancing its objectives. Significant

demanding nature and obtaining the participation from BPESA’s respective members.

A few notable achievements worth mentioning are as follows:

• Hosted 3 roadshows in 3 cities (Durban, Johannesburg, & Cape Town) aimed at providing more information about the program and getting operators in these 3 cities to participate in this strategic upskilling initiative.

• 2 onboarding session for the first cohorts kicked-off in April

NQFL4 FET certificate: Information Technology Technical Support activation

Continuous and robust conversations are taking place with operators from all the 3 cities to sign up for the programme.

The Future Skills Platform (FSP) has enrolled over 24,000 participants since its inception in May 2022, showing significant growth with an additional 3,400 users in the first quarter of 2024. Currently hosting 10,609 active users across 41 partners, the platform boasts a 72% female and 28% male participation rate, placing emphasis on inclusivity. Notably, the FSP adapts to evolving skill demands, catering to both business partners and self-directed learners, including youth from disadvantages communities. Targeted engagement initiatives from the dynamic Future Skills Team continue to drive active participation, while close progress monitoring enables timely adjustments to meet quarterly success goals and targets. The FSP team remains dedicated to empowering individuals for the workforce, fostering collaboration, innovation, and lifelong learning for gainful employment and sustainable economic development.

MEMBER NEWS

Teleperformance

Teleperformance announces opening of new Gqeberha centre in South Africa’s Eastern Cape

Teleperformance, a global leader in digital business services, today announced the opening of its second South African city location in Gqeberha (formerly known as Port Elizabeth), the cultural, economic and financial hub of the Eastern Cape.

Click here for more.

OnviSource

More Sales And Less Customer Churn

Want to know how a major US wireless service provider significantly improved customer retention rates using interaction analytics from OnviSource? With more than 4,000 agents spanning seven sites around the world, they have recognized significant reductions in cancellations based on intelligence from automated interaction

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Resilient Innovations

ContinuitySA is now Resilient Innovations – Everything you need to know

ContinuitySA has officially rebranded to Resilient Innovations – marking a new chapter in the well-respected organisation’s business continuity management (BCM) journey.This exit and rebrand to Resilient Innovations became official in December 2023, marking a significant milestone following ContinuitySA’s acquisition by...

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Outworx

Eastern Cape Ripe for Business Outsourcing Boom

Outworx opens new premises in Gqeberha and CEO predicts more operators will be attracted to city. NEW INVESTMENT: Outworx Chief Executive Offcer Robin Hoekstra has high hope for the business process outsourcing sector in the Eastern Cape...

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Here’s why UK companies are increasingly turning to top-tier South African talent

Businesses around the world are changing gears when it comes to outsourcing, and the UK is no different.

In an effort to improve customer service and make funds available for investment in superior technology or grow their operations in other ways, many companies based in the UK are outsourcing parts of their function and making South Africa their first choice for talent scouting.

But why South Africa?

What makes the talent here more attractive than other countries like India and the Philippines who have long dominated the global outsourcing market?

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The Department of Home Affairs has approved the first set of companies to be part of the Trusted Employer Scheme (TES), which aims to address some of South Africa’s most significant labour shortfalls.

The TES was announced during President Ramaphosa’s 2023 State of the Nation Address and is set to improve the immigration process for large employers and investors through a more predictable and efficient system that attracts talent and foreign investment.

Businesses have constantly flagged the lengthy delays and the complex application process for foreign workers in getting visas.

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Cape Town secures coveted 2nd place in ‘50 Best Cities in the World to Visit’ survey

In a resounding victory for the Mother City, Cape Town has clinched the second spot in Time Out's prestigious '50 Best Cities in the World to Visit 2024’.

The rankings were determined by a comprehensive survey of a total of 20,000 global travellers, and Time Out's network of travel experts positioned Cape Town just behind the perennial favourite, New York.

This news comes shortly after the city was named as a place with the “best community spirit in Africa”. Analysing social media community groups, the study revealed Cape Town's vibrant community engagement...

Click here for more.

Major win for South Africa’s skills crisis

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