#GENERATION BPO Magazine - Issue 3 - Q2 by 44ten Media

BPO SECTOR HUMAN CAPITAL & SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES, BY JUDY ROBISON

Simon Garabette

Diana Costelha

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP FEATURES

Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis

Alderman James Vos

Ryan Falkenberg

Judy Robison

Simon Dillsworth

Diana Costelha

Simon Garabette

Dr Shahiem Patel

CallMiner

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Welcome to the third issue of our BPO sector magazine, dedicated to showcasing the dynamism and potential of the Western Cape as an internationally acclaimed offshore destination for Bio & BPO services. As we navigate through the 2023/24 financial year, it is heartening to reflect on the significant achievements and breakthroughs that have positioned Cape Town as an unparalleled leader in the global BPO landscape.

One of the critical aspects making Cape Town extraordinarily attractive is its highly skilled workforce. The region boasts a rich pool of talented professionals, highly proﬁcient in both technical and soft skills, ready to address the unique demands of the BPO industry. Educational institutions in the Western Cape are constantly aligning their curricula with global industry standards, ensuring a steady pipeline of innovative thinkers and problem solvers.

The second aspect propelling Cape Town into the spotlight is its advanced technological infrastructure. The city has made considerable investments in cutting-edge technology, including reliable high-speed internet connectivity and state-of-the-art facilities, which are paramount for seamless business operations. This robust infrastructure not only meets the current needs of the industry but is also ﬂexible enough to adapt to future technological advancements.

Furthermore, Cape Town’s strategic location and favourable time zone alignment with major global markets, particularly the UK and Europe, provide companies with an operational edge. This geo-strategic advantage allows for real-time communication and collaboration, enhancing service delivery and operational efﬁciency, which are crucial for BPO success.

2024 has seen several multinational corporations such as Sourceﬁt, Foundever, and, MCI, choosing Cape Town as their offshore destination of choice, highlighting the city's competitive blend of talent, technology, and strategic positioning. These successes underscore the essence of Cape Town not just as a viable alternative, but as the preferred hub for BPO excellence.

In this issue we delve into the skills component of service delivery that makes Cape Town an increasingly unmatched value proposition, and an exploration of how the Western Cape is continuing to innovate and inspire trust on the global stage.

We invite you to explore the transformative journey of the Western Cape as it reinforces its stature as a global powerhouse for bio & BPO services.

Jehad Kasu Media Publisher

WELCOME TO #GENERATION BPO

As we reﬂect on another transformative year, it is a privilege to celebrate the remarkable achievements and progress of Cape Town’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector. At CapeBPO, we have witnessed how innovation, resilience, and collaboration have driven our industry forward, solidifying Cape Town’s status as a global outsourcing hub and a beacon of opportunity for our communities.

2024 has been a year of signiﬁcant growth and meaningful impact. The increasing interest from international investors and clients has brought with it economic opportunities that have enriched countless lives. From job creation to skills development, the positive ripple effects of our work are evident in the vibrancy of our local communities and the growing recognition of Cape Town on the global stage.

This year, we have focused on building an industry that is ready for the future, one that champions skills development, inclusivity, and sustainability. Our programmes to empower young talent have bridged the gap between unemployment and meaningful careers, while partnerships with stakeholders have paved the way for new innovations and impactful initiatives. These efforts are not just about growth; they are about shaping a sector that transforms lives and strengthens the foundations of our collective future.

As we look ahead, the opportunities and challenges of 2025 ﬁll me with optimism. At CapeBPO, we remain steadfast in our commitment to driving innovation, fostering collaboration, and expanding the reach of our sector. Our vision is one of inclusivity, excellence,

and sustainability, building on the successes of today to create a brighter tomorrow.

To the incredible people behind this industry, our partners, stakeholders, and workforce, you are the true driving force of our success. Your dedication, passion, and belief in what we can achieve together are inspiring, and I extend my heartfelt thanks to each of you.

As you explore this edition of our magazine, I hope you feel inspired by the stories of innovation, impact, and collaboration that deﬁne our sector. Together, we are shaping a future that is not only economically robust but also transformative for every individual it touches.

Here’s to another year of excellence and opportunity in Cape Town’s thriving BPO sector.

Clayton Williams CEO, CapeBPO

MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR

When we talk about building a City of Hope for all who live here in Cape Town, the most important and meaningful determinant of that hope is someone’s ability to ﬁnd sustainable work. Being able to escape poverty and dependence through employment is what changes lives forever, and this is why creating jobs in the metro is our number one priority.

Or should I rather say, creating the conditions under which the private sector can create the jobs. Because it is businesses large and small, across all sectors of the economy, that must ultimately create those work opportunities. And so it has become our obsession to make Cape Town the best and easiest place on the continent in which to start and operate a business.

What really helps is the wonderful partnerships we have here in Cape Town in this mission to grow the economy and create jobs – partnerships such as our strategic relationship with CapeBPO.

In Cape Town, Business Process Outsourcing has become one of our most signiﬁcant jobs growth sectors, and by now we must be closing in on 100,000 people employed in the City in this sector. The BPO sector also contributes well over R20 billion to our local economy, so to say it is important to us would be quite an understatement.

But it’s not just the jobs numbers that makes Business Process Outsourcing so valuable in Cape Town. This is also a sector that makes a real contribution to the personal development and upskilling of employees. Many people who enter this ﬁeld do so at a young age,

with relatively little experience, but within years have improved themselves professionally and expanded their range of skills.

As Cape Town’s BPO sector continues to grow, so too does our city’s reputation as great choice for an international call centre. With our large pool of talented, English speaking job-seekers, our favourable time zone and our city’s excellent infrastructure, there has never been a better time to establish a BPO business in the Mother City.

None of this would have been possible without the committed work of a partner like CapeBPO, and we are very grateful for their contribution to our city’s economy, and for helping to deliver hope through digniﬁed work for tens of thousands of Capetonians. Long may this wonderful partnership of ours last.

Geordin Hill-Lewis Cape Town Mayor

MESSAGE FROM ALD JAMES VOS

According to a recent study by The Conference Board, a non-proﬁt business and research group, half of CEOs foresee artiﬁcial intelligence (AI) absorbing the workloads of their human staff.

High on the list of industries anticipating major disruptions from AI is the BPO sector. South African contact centre workers have expressed concerns about the possibility of AI replacing their jobs, and these fears are not without merit. Today, it’s commonplace for a consumer's ﬁrst point of engagement with a company to be via a chatbot.

The idea of AI taking over the BPO sector in South Africa is concerning, especially given the industry's signiﬁcant role as a job creator, particularly for unskilled young South Africans. As of August 2024, a record 90,000 people work in call centres in Cape Town alone. My personal mission is to take that ﬁgure to 100,000 within the next few years. Through my department’s work with and funding of CapeBPO, I believe we can achieve it.

But before we start panicking about AI, it’s important to think rationally and remember a few key points. First, advancing technology has always led to the evolution of workplace roles. In 1967, Barclays Bank introduced the automated teller machine (ATM). As ATMs became more popular, there were fears that machines would replace human workers in the banking industry. While some jobs were lost, many employees found it necessary to learn new skills to assist customers with concerns that machines couldn’t address.

This brings me to my second point: humans will always be needed to handle uniquely human concerns. I’ve experienced this myself when chatbots don’t provide the speciﬁc information I’m looking for. We will always need people to think through the challenges and opportunities of our world. Technology is simply a tool that helps us bring our ideas to life with greater accuracy and efﬁciency.

Our job right now as industry leaders, role-players and employees is to make sure that we are equipped with the skills and open-mindedness to embrace a future that is not just fast approaching – it is already here.

Alderman James Vos Mayoral Commitee Member for Economic Growth

As we close the chapter on 2024, CapeBPO reﬂects on a year marked by growth, innovation, and meaningful impact. This year was deﬁned by a relentless commitment to empowering South Africa’s workforce, fostering collaboration, and driving economic development.

One of the highlights of 2024 was CapeBPO’s impactful initiatives, including the various CapeBPO skills programmes and the Day of 1,000 opportunities. These programmes created tangible career pathways for thousands of young South Africans, many of whom transitioned from unemployment to sustainable careers in the outsourcing sector. By offering comprehensive training, mentorship, and career guidance, these initiatives not only equipped participants with

technical skills but also instilled conﬁdence and fostered resilience for long-term success.

Collaboration remained a cornerstone of CapeBPO’s strategy. Strong partnerships with government, educational institutions, and businesses addressed critical skills gaps, ensuring that Cape Town remains a global outsourcing leader. These collaborations enhanced expertise in areas such as digital literacy, customer service, and leadership development.

CapeBPO’s focus extended beyond professional skills. The organisation prioritised workforce well-being with initiatives like Wellness Days, which promoted mental, physical, and emotional health through workshops and activities. Sector-wide Sports Days further strengthened camaraderie and teamwork, fostering a sense of unity within the industry.

Economically, the results were nothing short of exceptional. In the 2023/24 ﬁnancial year, the BPO sector added 10,470 new jobs, bringing the workforce to over 65,000. The sector’s contribution of R22 billion to the Western Cape economy underscored its pivotal role in regional development. This growth was further bolstered by increased foreign direct investment, which has fuelled both job creation and technological advancement across the region.

Inclusivity and transformation remained at the heart of CapeBPO’s mission. This year saw a continued focus on nurturing young leaders and creating opportunities for underrepresented communities, ensuring that the sector remains diverse and inclusive. Sustainability also emerged as a priority, with the industry embracing environmentally conscious practices and leveraging digital transformation to drive future growth.

Over the past two years, CapeBPO’s Advisory Board has been instrumental in steering the organisation and the broader BPO sector toward remarkable achievements. Comprised of visionary leaders, the outgoing board laid a solid foundation, driving innovation, fostering collaboration, and addressing critical challenges with exceptional dedication. Their strategic insights and commitment to excellence have helped position Cape Town as a global leader in outsourcing. We extend our deepest gratitude for their phenomenal contributions, which have paved the way for the sector’s continued growth and resilience.

This year, we are excited to welcome a new Advisory Board, bringing together a fresh wave of expertise and perspectives to guide CapeBPO into its next chapter. With representation from industry leaders and seasoned professionals, the new board is poised to build on the successes of its predecessors while driving forward-thinking policies and initiatives. Their collective vision will ensure that Cape Town remains a premier outsourcing destination, ready to navigate the opportunities and challenges of an evolving global market.

As we look to 2025, CapeBPO stands ready to build on the successes of this year. Plans to scale training programmes, attract new investors, and further solidify Cape Town’s position as a premier outsourcing destination. With a solid foundation of progress and purpose, CapeBPO is poised to navigate the challenges of the future, driving meaningful change and economic growth for South Africa.

Together with our partners, stakeholders, and dedicated workforce, we are shaping a brighter, more inclusive future for the BPO sector and beyond.

Natasha Anthony

With over 20 years’ experience in the BPO industry, Natasha Anthony is passionate about delivering exceptional customer experiences and driving innovation through technology. She champions South Africa’s talent as a global CX leader and is inspired by the opportunities the industry creates for youth to thrive on an international stage.

Siddharth Goel

Siddharth Goel, Country Head of EXL South Africa, has over two decades of experience in the Digital and AI Lead BPM industry. He drives growth, innovation, and operational excellence, positioning EXL as a key player globally. Siddharth is also committed to sustainability and socio-economic development, contributing to South Africa’s economy.

Hinesh Patel

Hinesh is a Managing Director at CCI, overseeing call center operations in Cape Town and Durban with over 20 years of experience. He specialises in enhancing operational efﬁciency, optimising processes, and improving customer satisfaction through strategic leadership and automation. His work has played a key role in strengthening CCI’s service delivery and client relationships.

Chemsley Schubert is the Founder and CEO of the award-winning BPO Skills Academy, with a proven track record of creating over 30,000 job opportunities in the GBS/BPO sector. Holding a BCom and MBA, he specialises in legislation, funding, and youth development. Committed to tackling youth unemployment, Chemsley continues to drive impactful change in South Africa.

Simon Garabette

Simon Garabette leads TTEC’s EMEA region, covering 8 countries across continents. With extensive experience in BPO, he has led operations in South Africa, India, Europe, and the Americas since 2015. Simon's background includes transformation, ﬁnance, vendor management, and operations in the BFSI sector.

Ryan is the CEO of CLEVVA, a digital BPO providing Virtual Agent as a Service to accelerate voice and chat automation adoption. With 25+ years in human augmentation and conversation automation, he is a thought leader on AI Agents in contact centers. Ryan also leads the IT and Digital cluster for CapeBPO’s Advisory Board.

Judy Robison

Judy Robison is a Strategic Learning and Development Professional with over 25 years of experience in South Africa’s Education, Training, and Development sector. She specialises in designing learning solutions aligned with business and economic sector priorities, focusing on integrating learning into industry needs. Judy is passionate about creating ecosystems that help individuals and businesses reach their full potential.

Justus holds a dual role as Country Manager for Sigma Connected and Managing Director for Digicall’s domestic BPO operation in Cape Town. A qualiﬁed CA(SA), he joined the Digicall Group in 2009, expanding his responsibilities to include real estate strategy and impact sourcing. Prior to this, Justus spent 10 years with PwC in Cape Town, London, and New York City.

Jason has 28 years of experience in CX delivery and operations, specialising in customer and employee experience, channel strategy, and digital transformation. He is passionate about making a positive impact on vulnerable communities. Jason holds a Bachelor of Management Studies from the University of Waikato and lives in Durban, South Africa.

Leann Coetzer is a Global People Leader at WNS, managing HR teams across 7 countries and various business units. With over 20 years of experience in BPO and HR, she is a director and founding member of Ucademy. Passionate about learning, South African youth, and DEI, Leann holds a certiﬁcation as an RPA Analyst and recently completed her AI & Gen AI for Business Leaders qualiﬁcation at Carnegie Mellon University.

Kobus van der Westhuizen

Kobus van der Westhuizen is the CEO and Founder of Trilogy BPO in Cape Town, South Africa, with over 25 years of experience in the BPO industry. A serial entrepreneur, he has founded ﬁve companies and sold two in the CX industry.

Eloise Kamineth

Eloise Kamineth is a Creative Strategist with over 10 years of experience in driving impactful solutions for marketing, stakeholder engagement, and capacity building. As the founder of Eloise Kamineth Consulting, she focuses on sustainable economic development and ethics in tech to foster growth in evolving industries.

Jason Lock

Andre Olivier

With over 20 years of experience in telecommunications, Borwood’s Chief Revenue Ofﬁcer, Andre Olivier, drives global business growth by aligning technology with strategy. A seasoned leader, his expertise spans networking, cloud, voice, security, and digital transformation for multinational enterprises.

Tauhier Fredericks

With 15 years in the BPO industry, Tauhier has worked across sectors like Telecoms, Financial Services, Retail, and Airlines. He has held senior roles in companies such as Teleperformance, Webhelp, and Boldr Impact, and is currently Head of Delivery at Huntswood.

Morne amos

Morne Amos is the Group Managing Director for South Africa at atm., with extensive experience in operations leadership across Financial Services, Retail, and Telecommunications. He specialises in driving strategic partnerships, business transformation, and operational excellence. Morne is committed to delivering impactful change for key clients in the BPO industry.

Liesl Jacobs Smith

Liesl holds a Master’s in Social Science, an Honors in Psychology, a Diploma in HR Management, and a BCom in Business Management. With 15+ years in Talent Management, she leads EXL South Africa’s talent acquisition and engagement strategies, enhancing organisational performance and developing global talent strategies.

Puneet Taneja

Puneet Taneja, COO & Country Head of South Africa at Teleperformance, has 21+ years of experience in operations, workforce management, and Lean Six Sigma. His expertise spans India, the UK, and the Philippines, driving innovation and setting industry benchmarks for customer experience and operations.

Hein Hanekom

Hein Hanekom has 8 years of experience in the global BPO industry, specialising in launching international companies in South Africa. With expertise in applied AI and Chatbot solutions, he is passionate about Customer Experience (CX). Hein has played key roles in developing several Customer Engagement projects across multiple regions.

Mathew Conn

Mathew Conn is a seasoned Senior Executive with expertise in Customer Service, Operational Management, and Digital Transformation. Since 2018, he has driven innovative, omni-channel solutions at Merchants, focusing on customer satisfaction, client success, and employee engagement.

Mushﬁq Hopkins

With 25 years of experience in the contact centre industry, Mushﬁq is passionate about continuous learning, technological innovation, and employee growth. They have worked across both captive and BPO landscapes and serve in multiple industry roles, including as a CapeBPO Awards judge and advisory board member. Currently, they lead service delivery for Tech Mahindra, S.A.

Samantha Langeveldt

With over 20 years of experience in Financial Services, Credit, Catalogue Retailing, and BPO, Samantha started her career as a call center agent before transitioning into HR leadership. Currently serving as GM, HR at IGT Solutions, Samantha is passionate about making a positive societal impact through her work.

Robert Joubert

Robert Joubert, founder and CEO of Boomerang BPO, established the company in 2005 to promote a people-ﬁrst approach in South Africa's BPO sector. With experience across Africa, Europe, and the UK, he fosters teamwork and customer excellence. Robert divides his time between France, the UK, and Cape Town and serves on CapeBPO's Advisory Board.

Ish Kasker

A leader with over two decades of experience in designing and implementing enterprises across Resourcing, Technology, and Real Estate. As the Managing Director of Futur-ED, a talent BPO incubator in Athlone, Cape Town, Ish is dedicated to shaping the future of talent and innovation.

Nita Goodall, CEO of People Solutions, has extensive experience in the Human Resources industry and serves as an independent or non-executive director on several boards. With her vast knowledge, wisdom, and proven success, she brings invaluable strength to the company’s training interventions. Nita is committed to fostering people development and driving organisational excellence.

Nita Goodall

Empowering Cape Town’s Youth:

The Launch of the CapeBPO Youth Skills and Employment Incubator

By CapeBPO

On 26 March 2025, CapeBPO proudly launched the CapeBPO Youth Skills and Employment Incubator, a transformative initiative designed to equip young South Africans with the skills to excel in the global BPO industry. This pioneering programme, funded by the City of Cape Town and the Department of Employment and Labour/ UIF, underscores a shared commitment to tackling youth unemployment and driving economic growth.

In partnership with BPO Skills Academy and Futur-ED, the incubator delivers work readiness training that is directly linked to employment in Cape Town’s thriving BPO sector. By aligning training

with industry needs, the initiative ensures young talent is job-ready and seamlessly integrated into the workforce through CapeBPO’s extensive Operator community.

Speaking at the launch, CapeBPO, City of Cape Town and DoL ofﬁcials highlighted the programme’s impact on job creation, its role in bridging the skills gap, and its contribution to Cape Town’s standing as a leading global BPO hub.

With the demand for skilled professionals in customer service, technology, and digital support on the rise, the CapeBPO Youth Skills and Employment Incubator is a beacon of opportunity—empowering unemployed youth

with the skills to build sustainable careers and contribute to South Africa’s economic future.

This initiative is more than just training - it’s a pathway to success for Cape Town’s next generation of professionals.

IT and digital cluster report

The IT and Digital Cluster’s focus is to help CapeBPO members more effectively service global demands, digitally.

To achieve this, the team aims to gather insights into how members currently understand and leverage digital; identify common challenges being faced; and explore industry-level solutions and a possible industry-level blueprint for digital going forward.

In the previous reporting period, our cluster:

1. Hosted a 3-part thought leadership webinar series:

a. How digital workers are transforming the Contact Centre industry

b. The changing role of human agents and what we can do to better enable them

c. The IT Infrastructure needed for South Africa’s outsourcing industry to thrive

2. Conducted a survey to understand the current digital capability and strategic intent within CapeBPO’s membership

Over the next 12 -18 months our cluster aims to:

Better understand what operators view ‘digitisation’ to mean in their businesses

Identify the challenges members face in meeting scale and agility demands, especially through digital channels

Analyse the market trends with regard to digital, and what customers expect from CapeBPO members within the next 5 years

Identify the current gaps, speciﬁcally in respect to infrastructure, operating models, automation and workforce enablement

Develop a strategic blueprint to help CapeBPO members prioritise and succeed in their digital journey.

Implement a reference site showcasing CapeBPOs digital capabilities

A shout out must go to those operators who have so willingly offered us insights into your digital truth, and helped guide our efforts so that we focus on the aspects that have most value to you. We really appreciate it and look forward to working with more operators so that we ensure our recommendations reﬂect the industry, not just a few key players. If you would like to contribute or be involved, please contact the team at CapeBPO. We would love to engage with you.

The great digital

conundrum- do we self-disrupt or wait for the bubble to burst?

While many within CapeBPO express the view, publically, that business has never been better and the current rate of job growth in the sector will continue indeﬁnitely, privately many acknowledge deep concerns about the future. With the rapid enhancements in Generative AI and Conversational Process Automation, powerful and highly capable virtual agents that can talk and operate at the level of human experts, are now emerging.

Limited chat and voice bots are fast becoming obsolete. Virtual agents can now be designed to effectively clarify, analyse, diagnose and resolve increasingly complex sales, service and support queries. These autonomous agents can also communicate like a human via voice, chat and email channels, and can ensure every conversation gets handled in a consistent and compliant way. This includes working with multiple systems to call up and pass data back for straight through processing.

The implications are profound. As digital self-service becomes normalised across industries, customers will increasingly demand a digital ﬁrst engagement. Human contact will be sought only if digital fails, either logically or emotionally.

Ryan Falkenberg

So how do BPOs react to this emerging reality?

Some may dismiss it as technological hype whose bubble will surely burst. As a result, they will embrace ‘safe’ forms of digital transformation such as those found within existing CX platforms where human agents are supported with improved prompting, translations and task automation.

Others will lean into digital strategically and actively disrupt themselves before they ﬁnd themselves disrupted. By doing this, they’re able to turn this threat into a competitive advantage.

There are a number of beneﬁts to taking the latter approach.

Expand market opportunities

Companies looking to

improve self-service across their voice and digital channels, will likely ﬁrst try to leverage existing technologies such as chatbots and live chat via their CX platform. Basic queries will quickly be automated, and then the reality will dawn: automating context-rich, rule-heavy conversations is not that simple. Few follow scripted, decision-tree paths and most queries end up with live agents. This may lead to a greater openness to outsource conversation automation to specialists. These are companies who can work with the latest technologies and can offer the range of skills required to deliver conversation automation at scale. For those BPOs who invest early in building this specialisation, global opportunities will open up and help them differentiate from the rest.

Resource more proﬁtably

As call volumes ﬂuctuate, either in predictable patterns as with seasonal spikes, or unpredictable patterns like a sudden airport shutdown, BPOs are compelled to add additional capacity to meet agreed service levels. This inevitable ‘fat’ that must be built into the system can be avoided by leveraging virtual agents. These agents can instantly scale and process spiking volumes, allowing businesses to operate with a more stable group of human agents.

Divide up the work more effectively

Virtual agents can be assigned low value, time sapping parts of customer journeys, allowing human agents to focus on his value components. In outbound sales, for example, human agents can focus on making the sale and can then hand the customer to the virtual agent to walk them through

the Ts and Cs, and all the follow up engagements to complete the required paperwork.

Reduce service level penalties

The trade-off facing BPOs, to over-resource and cut margins or under-resource and face penalties, can be mitigated using virtual agents. The variable call volumes can be assigned to a virtual agent, ensuring that service levels are maintained along with margins.

Capture revenue lost due to irregular spikes

Spiking volumes don’t only result in penalties, they also translate into missed revenue opportunities. By using a virtual agent to handle these calls, BPOs can capture this previously lost revenue.

Reduce staff training and improve call quality

Virtual agents can also be partnered with human agents, navigating them through live calls like a GPS navigates a driver on unknown roads. This allows inexperienced human agents to handle a wider range of call types. It also reduces post-call quality assurance demands. The resulting savings in training and support, as well as the improvement in call handling consistency and compliance makes a strong case for early adoption.

Reduce business risk

Whether we like it or not, automation will reduce the volume of assisted calls. A way to offset this risk is to proactively invest into digital capabilities that can improve staff productivity and proﬁtability, and grow new revenue streams in conversation automation, analytics and process intelligence. While no-one

has a crystal ball that accurately predicts the future, more companies in the industry are looking to embrace a digital first strategy. This kind of strategy should deliver on the growing expectation of immediacy while offering the human touch where it is most valued. Digital first leaves the call triaging and first-line support to virtual agents, while creating the time and space for human agents to focus on the conversations that really make an impact on customer loyalty and sale revenue.

How this varies across industries and use cases is still anyone’s guess, but the ones who have already started to move in this direction have the greatest probability of being around to ﬁnd out.

Ryan Falkenberg is CEO of CLEVVA and the Advisory Board lead of the IT and Digital cluster

A vow to Africa: Creating sustainable economic vibrancy in the communities that we serve

By Simon Dillsworth, Senior Vice President, Head of TTEC Engage

Now is Africa’s time.

Colleagues, clients, friends, and the young adults I am privileged to mentor have often heard me refer to the potential Africa has to establish itself as a ‘powerhouse’ of the BPO industry. Its people, their talents, their communities, augmented by enthusiastic government support continue to make me an evangelist. My own family roots and experience of growing up in West Africa as a child further support my drive and conviction for the region.

There are many forces at work right now helping to position Africa as an attractive place to set up operations, and that’s why TTEC have established roots there. We continue to make substantial investments in this region because we know our clients will ﬂourish here.

Equally important, we are committed to weaving TTEC into the fabric of society. Our mission is to create positive change and economic vibrancy that is sustainable. It’s part of our Impact Practice, the playbook that governs how we invest, hire, train, develop, and support local people to deliver an exceptional customer experience for companies around the globe.

All in on Africa

TTEC operates four contact centres in three African countries today (South-Africa, Egypt, and Rwanda). We take great pride in these Impact Innovation Hubs where we combine a highly skilled, multilingual workforce with proven .AI solutions and a commitment to delivering lasting positive social change. Clients have always demanded the best results at the most

cost-effective price, and Africa is well placed to deliver on this commitment:

“This is not about a race to the bottom on cost in South Africa,” emphasised Adam Axelrod-Harash, Head of Contact Centres for our client, Volkswagen Group U.K. “The quality is really good and CSAT scores are actually very much aligned, and as good as we are getting in the U.K.”

5,000 contact centre jobs in Africa in 2029

By the end of 2026, TTEC will have created over 2,000 new jobs in Africa. Our ambition is to increase that to 5000 by the end of 2029 using impact as a ‘force-multiplier.’

Local efforts in Egypt, South Africa, Rwanda

We have chosen to establish

operations in these fantastic locations where we can ﬁnd the best multi-lingual talent, at the most competitive price points for our clients, whilst visibly contributing to improving the economic vibrancy of the communities we serve.

Even small deeds, like establishing a local sports team, build momentum for great achievements. I’m reminded of the famous proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

Impact practice: a primer for prosperity

At TTEC, impact strategy isn’t just something we help our clients achieve, it’s something we ourselves prioritise. We’ve long invested in communities. More than 20 years ago, TTEC was one of the ﬁrst business process outsourcing (BPO) companies to enter the Philip-

pines, and we’ve since invested in 19 sites, 23,000 employees, and signiﬁcant local impacts in that region. Late last year, we launched a new corporate initiative to go beyond those efforts. We built an Impact Practice and designed and built a partner ecosystem, operating model, and measurement framework to guide our work.

Impact strategy goes well beyond impact sourcing; it dives deeper than just the hiring process and is guided by the notion that economic vibrancy can help ameliorate socioeconomic and environmental problems – and that brands have a responsibility to contribute to that economic vibrancy, to be part of the solution. Our Impact strategy is made up of 7 pillars, and is best summarised through the following that differentiate the approach vs traditional impact sourcing approaches:

1. Bringing work to where people live and shortening commutes where possible.

2. Working with education entities to design and deliver curriculums that uncover more opportunities and create pathways to employment.

3. Taking marginalised populations into consideration during procurement processes and vendor selection.

4. Hiring with sustainability in mind: robust and fair employment contracts, meaningful and competitive pay, employment beneﬁts, and being deliberate about workers’

development paths.

5. Measuring our impact by understanding what success looks like, and deriving a set of quantiﬁable and shared long-term measures to gauge success.

6. Investing in building impact partner ‘ecosystems’ that accelerate the ‘ripple effect’ of activities.

7. Exploring opportunities for TTEC and our clients to invest in the supply chains of the communities we serve.

Our operations in Cape-Town, Cairo, and Kigali enable us to

bring our Impact Practice to life as we partner closely with amazing and supportive organisations such as Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator Rwanda CapeBPO, Information Technology Industry Development Agency, ITIDA and the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) to create job and career opportunities for our staff, their families, and their friends.

To learn more about TTEC’s efforts in Africa and the 7 pillars underpinning our Impact Strategy, visit www.ttec.com/impact-strategy or get in touch with me directly.

Simon

Dillsworth

Celebrating Excellence at the CapeBPO Awards: A night of Glamour, Innovation and Triumph

Cape Town recently witnessed the much-anticipated CapeBPO Awards 2024, a celebration of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector’s most outstanding contributors. Under the dazzling Casino Royale theme, the event brought together industry leaders, government representatives, and key stakeholders for a night of elegance and recognition.

With its reputation as one of the most prestigious events in the industry calendar, the CapeBPO Awards not only honours achievements but also highlights the sector's vital role in driving economic growth and job

creation across South Africa. From individual excellence to company innovations, the awards provide a platform to recognise and inspire the talent and innovation that make Cape Town a global outsourcing hub.

Attendees were treated to a memorable night featuring world-class entertainment, delectable cuisine, and an opportunity to connect with some of the brightest minds and visionaries in the BPO sector. The event not only celebrated achievements but also served as a reminder of the industry’s importance in building a stronger and more inclusive South Africa.

Recognising Individual Excellence: The Stars of the Night

The heart of the CapeBPO Awards lies in honouring the individuals whose dedication, talent, and innovation are transforming the BPO industry. This year’s winners represent a diverse array of skills and contributions:

Top Customer Service Professional:

Leandro Antonio from Merchants SA was recognised for his unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences. His ability to connect with clients and solve challenges with professionalism and care exempliﬁes the highest standards of customer service.

Top BPO Sales/Marketing Professional:

Olivier De Boever from SA Commercial showcased outstanding creativity and strategy in driving sales and marketing efforts, positioning his organisation as a leader in the competitive BPO landscape.

Top BPO Team Leader/Supervisor:

Carmen Lizel Januarie from EXL Service South Africa stood out for her exceptional leadership, fostering team cohesion, and achieving remarkable results through her ability to inspire and guide her team.

Top BPO Operational Manager:

Tiaan Groenewald from WNS Global Services SA was lauded for his operational excellence, ensuring seamless processes and consistently exceeding performance targets.

Top BPO Workforce Planning Professional:

Denver Anthony from Callforce Direct was recognised for his strategic workforce planning, maximising efﬁciency and contributing signiﬁcantly to operational success.

Top BPO Trainer/Coach:

Keegan Lakay from EXL Service South Africa demonstrated exceptional mentorship and training capabilities, empowering the next generation of industry leaders.

Each of these winners represents the passion, expertise

Top BPO Quality Professional:

Mogamad Igshaan Gallie from Capita SA was honoured for his dedication to maintaining the highest quality standards, ensuring customer satisfaction and operational excellence.

Top BPO Analyst:

Tevashan Reddy from CCI South Africa impressed with his data-driven insights and analytical expertise, which have driven informed decision-making and strategic improvements.

Top BPO Support Professional:

Tinashe Zenda from IGT Solutions stood out for her behind-the-scenes contributions, ensuring smooth operations and providing critical support to her team.

and innovation that are driving the industry forward.

Company Excellence: Leaders in Innovation and Impact

The CapeBPO Awards also recognised companies making extraordinary strides in innovation, operational excellence, and community impact. This year’s winners highlighted the diversity and dynamism of the BPO sector:

Top Technical Innovation:

Achievement Awards Group was celebrated for pioneering technological advancements that enhance operational efﬁciency and elevate customer experiences.

Top Support Services Provider:

Digital Solutions Group demonstrated excellence in providing services that enable BPO organisations to thrive.

Top Non-Technical Innovation:

CCI South Africa was recognised for creative approaches to improving processes and delivering outstanding results.

Top Impact Sourcing:

EXL Service South Africa was commended for their commitment to empowering underrepresented communities through meaningful employment opportunities.

Top Impact Sourcing Partner:

Careerbox Africa was recognised for fostering partnerships that drive inclusive growth in the BPO sector.

Top Community Impact Initiative:

EXL Service South Africa was honoured for initiatives that give back to the community and create lasting positive change.

Top Emerging Operator:

Amplify5, a rising star in the industry, showcased remarkable progress and potential as a newcomer.

Top Offshore Campaign:

CCI South Africa was celebrated for managing international campaigns with exceptional success, showcasing the global capabilities of Cape Town’s BPO industry.

CEO Award for Most Jobs Created:

EXL Service South Africa was recognised for its signiﬁcant contributions to job creation, a vital component of the region’s economic growth.

Top BPO Operator:

EXL Service South Africa was celebrated as the industry leader for its exceptional performance across all operational facets.

Digital Solutions & Transformation Operator of the Year:

Concentrix was awarded for its leadership in leveraging digital transformation to drive operational excellence.

These winners represent the breadth of talent and innovation within Cape Town’s BPO sector and the industry’s unwavering commitment to excellence and impact.

Driving Growth and Building a Brighter Future

The CapeBPO Awards are more than a celebration of achievements; they are a reﬂection of the sector’s growth and potential. As Cape Town continues to solidify its position as a leading global BPO destination, these awards highlight the importance of collaboration, innovation, and a shared vision for the future.

The winners and nominees represent the best of what the BPO sector has to offer: a commitment to creating jobs, fostering talent, and delivering world-class solutions. Their efforts not only drive economic growth but also contribute to uplifting communities and creating opportunities for thousands of individuals across the region.

A Night to Remember

As the Casino Royale-themed evening came to a close, it was clear that the CapeBPO Awards had succeeded in shining a spotlight on the incredible talent and innovation within the industry. The event was a testament to the passion and resilience of the people who make Cape Town’s BPO sector a global leader.

From the inspiring stories of individual winners to the game-changing innovations of company awardees, the CapeBPO Awards 2024 underscored the importance of celebrating success and striving for even greater achievements in the years to come.

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees. Your dedication, innovation, and excellence continue to shape the future of the BPO industry and drive positive change across Cape Town and beyond.

BPO sector human capital and skills development priorities

By Judy Robison

Lead: CapeBPO Talent and Skills Development Advisory Board

Empowering the Future:

The Role of the CapeBPO Talent and Skills Advisory Board

As the lead of the CapeBPO Talent and Skills Advisory Board, I have the privilege of witnessing the transformative impact our initiatives have on the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector in the Western Cape. Our board is dedicated to fostering a robust talent pipeline to ensure the industry remains competitive and innovative in an ever-evolving global landscape. We are focused on driving key sector priorities through our mandate, which encompasses several critical areas.

Championing Skills Development

One of our primary

objectives is to address the skills gap that often limits growth in the BPO sector. By collaborating with educational institutions, training providers, government bodies, and industry stakeholders, we design and implement programmes that equip individuals with both technical expertise and essential soft skills. This holistic approach ensures that our workforce is well-prepared to excel in the modern BPO environment.

Driving Inclusive Growth

Inclusivity is a cornerstone of our mission. We are committed to creating opportunities for underrepresented groups, including women, youth, and individuals from disadvantaged communities. A diverse workforce not only enhances the talent pool but

also drives innovation and socio-economic development, contributing to the resilience and prosperity of our sector and broader community.

Adapting to Technological Advancements

The BPO industry is experiencing rapid transformation due to emerging technologies such as artiﬁcial intelligence, automation, and data analytics. To stay ahead, we continually reﬁne our training programmes and promote a culture of lifelong learning. This proactive approach ensures our workforce is equipped to navigate current challenges and embrace future opportunities brought about by technological advancements.

Collaborative Efforts for Sustainable Impact

Our achievements are grounded in strong partnerships with stakeholders across government, private sector, and non-proﬁt organisations. These collaborations enable us to pool resources, share insights, and create synergies that amplify our collective impact. Together, we are building a sustainable ecosystem that supports the growth and resilience of the Western Cape’s BPO sector.

Future Partnership Goals

Looking ahead, we plan to expand our partnerships to include a broader range of local and international businesses across various sectors. Key goals include strengthening links between industry and academia, expanding internship and apprenticeship opportunities, fostering

innovation through start-ups, and deepening community engagement.

Metrics for Success

To measure progress and maintain accountability, we will track metrics such as job placement rates, diversity and inclusion statistics, training completions, community impact, and overall sector growth contribution.

Challenges Faced

While we have made signiﬁcant progress, challenges persist, including skills mismatches, resource constraints, rapid technological disruption, talent retention issues, and economic uncertainties. Addressing these hurdles through strategic initiatives will be critical to sustaining our success.

Priority Focus Areas for 2025

As we look to 2025, our advisory board will prioritise several key areas: deﬁning complex BPO roles, addressing socio-economic barriers to industry entry, tackling generational workforce dynamics, aligning educational offerings with industry needs, and enhancing leadership development pathways.

Judy Robison

Welcome to our insightful interview series featuring inspiring individuals throughout the leadership spectrum in the BPO industry.

In this issue we have the privilege of speaking with an exceptional emerging leader in the BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) sector. Our interview aims to explore the diverse experiences and perseverance that deﬁne success in the BPO industry.

Our guest, Carmen Januarie, shares her story, offering glimpses into her early years, personal aspirations, and the pivotal moments that guided her into the world of BPO. She will recount her initial impressions upon entering the sector and share valuable insights into how those perceptions have evolved over time. This narrative promises not only to encapsulate the professional highlights but also to provide a lens into how this vibrant industry has shaped her personal life.

Through this interview, we aim to uncover the rewarding aspects of leadership within the BPO sector, as Carmen shares the professional opportunities and experiences she’s encountered

on her journey. For aspiring professionals and those who may view this sector through a skeptical lens, our interviewee offers guidance, aiming to inspire a fresh perspective on what a career in BPO can encompass.

Tell us a bit about yourself, name, age, where you grew up and went to school, family status.

My name is Carmen Lizel Januarie (previously Geldenhuys), I'm 40 years old, married with 3 kids. I attended Mondale High School in Mitchell's Plain and Matriculated in 2002 and that's also where I grew up. I've spent the past 14 years in the BPO industry with 11 years of those years in Leadership.

What did you aspire to become during your school years, and did you pursue that goal in any way?

Whilst at school I originally aspired to becoming a Professional Chef and thought I would make the Hospitality Industry my life long career. So I took a gap year in 2003 and then was fortunate enough to study party time at the Institute for Hospitality Education and do my Internship at Alphen Hotel in Constantia. I acquired my National Diploma in Professional Cookery as well as Advanced Diploma in Culinary Arts (city&guilds) in 2004.

How did you ﬁnd your entry into the BPO sector? Was it by design or a chance opportunity?

Previously I mentioned that I spent the last 14 years in the BPO industry. However, my first contact centre experience goes back to 2008 where I worked at TFG doing telemarketing for two years. I thought that telemarketing and debt collecting was all there was to contact centres. I didn't know about BPOs or Captive environments. When joining my first BPO in 2011 at Adsa which was then part of Merchants. I had my first exposure to working with UK based customers. I really had to put my best foot forward during the interview and screening process because I had no prior contact centre experience and also I was (and still am) extremely shy.

When you ﬁrst entered the BPO industry, what were your perceptions, and how do they compare to your experiences now?

My ﬁrst BPO impression was that of a place where people going there just needed to get a job to make ends meet. I later realised that it's an establishment that can nurture and hoist careers. I've been privileged to have lead young men and women fresh out of school who through their efforts and determination have not only grown and become leaders, but ultimately changed their lives and that of their families by taking on the roles as breadwinners in their respective households.

How long have you been working in the BPO sector and how long was it before you reached TL status, and can you share some key changes you've witnessed over time?

I've been in the BPO Industry since early 2011. It's evolved in the sense of not just having your set titles such as agents, team leaders and Operations managers. Today SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) are recognised roles, there are Business/ Performance Coaches that now facilitate the coaching and development leaders need. Post the Operations managers positions, there are so much more opportunities and levels of management to reach for like Senior Operations Managers, Assistant Vice President, Director of Operations, to name but a few.

What's the most rewarding aspect of your job as a team leader in the BPO sector?

The most rewarding part of my job is to coach and groom future leaders and ultimately leaders of leaders. I've been privileged to be a part of the growth and success of agents in my team way back when to being successful Team leaders, Quality Assessors, Quality Mangers even Operations Managers. To know that I could lead and guide individuals to becoming better versions of themselves professionally is one of the highlights of my career.

On a personal level, how has working in the BPO sector enriched your life and personal growth?

The BPO industry has enriched my professional life so much so that I've had the honour of being in the below roles:

-Customer Service Advisor

-Performance Coach

-Quality Assessor

-Stand in Quality Team Leader -Operational Team Leader

-Business Coach

-Junior Operations Manager

At EXL, I've had the honour of heading up our back ofﬁce space last year that started with an FTE (Full Time Equivalent) of only 3 agents and today is a department with a headcount of 42 and is subsequently the space I've recently been promoted to managing as a Junior Operations Manager ( Lead Assistant Manager).

For young people considering employment but holding negative perceptions of the BPO sector, what advice or insights would you offer?

It really is what you make of it. If you have a positive mindset and the willingness and drive to learn and grow, then you can and will make a success of it, in any shape or form. If you are passing by due taking a gap year or break from studying , use the experience as a stepping stone to your life long goals.

In your opinion, what qualities make for an effective leader in the BPO industry?

The qualities I believe makes a good team leader:

-Effective communication

-Leading by example

-Having integrity

-Being open to feedback

-Being approachable

-Attention to detail

-Having your teams best interest at heart

10.

How do you see your career evolving within the BPO sector over the next few years?

I deﬁnitely see myself moving to Senior Operations Manager role within a few years and I'm also interested in becoming an account manager, they create better working relationships between onshore and offshore teams which strengthens Client and Stakeholder engagement and relationships.

11.

Reﬂecting on your journey, is there anything you wish you could have done differently in your career path?

If I had to reﬂect on my career or journey thus far, the only change I would have made was to believe in myself more, taken more chances at starting something new within the industry and remembering that even though things might not look promising at any given time, just to continue trusting the process.

12.

Finally, what message would you like to share with aspiring leaders looking to make their mark in the BPO sector?

Believe in yourself. You are more than capable. Don't resign yourself to the idea the highest you can go within BPO industry is a Team Leader.

There's two sayings that I always hold onto: 1. You're busy doubting yourself while others are intimidated just by your potential

2. You are your ancestors wildest dreams

So whatever situation you ﬁnd yourself in. You are on the right track and don't give up. Someone who looks up to you is watching.

Closing the Skills Gap: Industry-Academia Collaboration in South Africa

By Dr Shahiem Patel - Dean of Regent Business School

There are several issues and challenges facing South Africa that could be linked to the country’s history. It is well known that amongst these issues, quality, affordable education remains inaccessible for the vast majority of South Africans. However, this is not true for all South Africans. There is a seemingly obvious divider between those that can access quality education and those who cannot. That divider is money. Dr Shahiem Patel, the Dean of Regent Business School, has an in-depth look at this topic.

In general terms, the rich access quality education and those that are not rich, do not. The resulting effect of this is that those who access quality education are likely to gain usable skills and again, those who are not rich, are unlikely to gain useful skills. In this perpetual cycle, we start to see the emergence of a skills gap between rich and poor. The gaining of skills would typically be a means to enjoy some ﬁnancial beneﬁt. Ultimately, this kind of skills gap is as a result of economic inequality and gives rise to further inequality.

However, this is not the only kind of skills gap, and that is perhaps the focus of this piece. What is this additional consequence? That would be the gap between the skills required and demanded by employers and those being supplied by the workforce. This form of skills gap is widening with each passing day as technology continues to develop and the nature of problems being solved by businesses constantly evolving.

The

Evolving Skills Landscape: Employer

Needs vs. Workforce Supply

Further compounding the problem is the fact that even those who are able to access quality education might be entering the working world with skills that were needed at some point in the past (not necessarily the distant past) yet their skills are still somewhat outdated and irrelevant. It is clear that something needs to be done to address this and in particular, the gap between relevant skills demanded by companies and those that are in supply from the labour market.

Fostering Collaboration: Principles for Bridging the Skills Gap

The obvious solution is for academic institutions, businesses, labour movements and students to engage and collaborate closely. In particular, the collaboration between academia and business has the potential to fundamentally address the skills gap because there will be closer proximity between the generators (academic institutions) and consumers (businesses) of skills required to drive economic growth in South Africa.

The need for closer proximity is further highlighted by the global shift towards digitisation and the emergence of artiﬁcial intelligence as a tool for disruption. It must follow then, that the collaboration ought to be constant and must reach some form of scale in the country that will result in every industry enjoying the fruits of the collaboration. There are questions around the issue of business and academia collaboration in

closing the skills gap that require answers. What is meant by collaboration? Who are the stakeholders that will represent business and academia in the engagements? What criterion should be applied to appointing people to these roles? The list of questions is far too long and ﬁnding answers to them is not the goal of this piece. Rather, a few guiding principles on how the collaboration ought to occur is more meaningful.

A Culture Shift for South Africa:

The ﬁrst principle of collaboration ought to be that of encouraging lifelong learning as a culture in South Africa. If technology and social forces result in constantly changing needs and demands, lifelong learning is a means of ensuring that the workforce remains updated on those changing forces. This impacts the ways of work required to remain relevant. In this respect, short learning programmes, micro skilling and credentialling and badging are effective areas of collaboration in the promotion of lifelong learning.

Integrating Academia with Real-World Challenges:

This is a form of work integrated learning that sees learners exposed to business challenges and opportunities during their studies. In many instances, work directed learning could be used as a tool for assessment of students. This has the beneﬁt of preparing students for the so-called “real world” of work whilst they are in the environment of an academic institution. The other beneﬁt is that employers have the opportunity to identify talent early and to nurture that talent in innovative ways, as students transition from education to employment.

Endorsement and Industry Relevance of Community Engagement:

This powerful principle should be embraced

during collaboration between academia and business. It entails engagement by both these parties with professional bodies in various industries and ensuring that programmes offered by academia are endorsed by professional bodies. This is a signal to employers that students that have been through an academic programme which will equip them with the necessary skills to add value to the employer, and by extension to the industry.

Embracing Start-Up Culture in Education:

The principle of identifying exactly who “business” is will also go a long way towards meaningful collaboration. As start-up culture continues to ﬂourish globally, “business” need not necessarily be a corporate in a brick-and-mortar style existence. Fluid, rapidly evolving, dynamic, digital entities are increasingly being thought of as “business” and must also be engaged by academia in a meaningful and deliberate manner. The opportunity for start-ups to showcase their innovation to a wide audience and the

incorporation of those innovations into curricula is sure to help address the skills gap in South Africa.

Applying Rigour to Collaboration:

Sustained research in a collaborative manner between academia and business is a principle that could add rigour and trustworthiness to the engagements. Traditional and emerging methods of research could be applied to shared problems then used to make sound decisions during collaboration. In particular, action research is increasingly popular in terms of practically exposing research participants to environments and scenarios and learning by sensing. Learning by sensing is a valuable means of skills development and must be incorporated into engagements.

Mapping Employability Skills:

The principle of workplace readiness, 21st century digital skills and employability programmes must be prioritised when collaborating. Business and academia should

map out the soft skills, problem solving skills, teamwork, communication skills and digital literacy that new entrants to the workplace require. Once mapped, these skills must be updated frequently to account for changing needs. Thereafter, robust and practical programmes should be cocreated by academia and business to deliver on these needs.

The principles above are by no means exhaustive but form the basis of a framework that could be developed to meaningfully close the skills gap in South Africa. In addition to these principles, overcoming barriers or challenges to successful collaboration must be borne in mind. These include ﬁnancial considerations, cultural differences between business and academia and potential unwillingness to formalise collaboration agreements by either or both parties.

Policy Frameworks for Partnership Enhancement

Government policy plays a critical role in

addressing some of these barriers and facilitating these partnerships. Policies that encourage collaboration through tax incentives, funding grants, and streamlined regulatory processes can signiﬁcantly enhance the capacity for joint projects. Not to be forgotten are policies that focus on digital infrastructure development, particularly in rural and underprivileged areas, which are crucial in ensuring that the beneﬁts of these collaborations are broadly shared.

As South Africa stands at the crossroads of tradition and innovation, the collaboration between industry and academia offers a beacon of hope. By bridging the skills gap through partnerships that foster lifelong learning and workforce readiness, South Africa can not only address its immediate employment challenges but also position itself as a leader in the digital age. This journey requires commitment, innovation, and collaboration across all sectors of society. Yet, given the resilience and spirit of the South African people, it is a challenge not just to be met but to be embraced as an opportunity to redeﬁne the future.

Dr Shahiem Patel

AI-enabled, digitally savvy workforce emerging in South Africa

When momentum builds for explosive growth in a region, it’s only ﬁtting to seek out insights from those witnessing great strides ﬁrsthand.

Meet TTEC’s Diana Costelha and Simon Garabette, whose perspectives are shaped by day-to-day immersion in the country. She is country director for South Africa, and he is senior vice president of operations for EMEA at the technology and services provider operating on six continents. The duo tells a rich story about progress and the future of an AI empowered workforce.

Q: Why South Africa? Why now?

Costelha: In the BPO industry we share knowledge, we work together. South Africans are known as resilient, problem solvers. We don’t look to others to solve our problems. The time zone is attractive to EMEA and U.S. companies have a strong afﬁnity for the culture.

Garabette: Everything Di just

Diana Costelha

Simon Garabette

said — plus collaboration is truly unique here. When COVID hit, the industry collaborated to say, “If we can’t keep people working, they will go and won’t come back.” The government put in controls and standards to protect those people and the industry. That’s why we see renewed interest from the U.S.

Q: What are the growth drivers?

Costelha: Our people have a special energy. They are curious and empathetic. But it really is the way they engage to solve problems with an empathetic approach that our clients really like. That’s something beyond any script or training. There’s a ﬂexible view of schedules and greater value placed on multitasking, relationships, and the needs of others.

Q: Has the BPO market reached saturation?

Garabette: No, because there’s 33% unemployment. That’s near the record high during COVID. Youth unemployment is higher, at 45%.

Costelha: Rotational power cuts were not needed in the last months, an encouraging sign we’ve not seen in two years. I’m aware of the government’s investing in new transmission lines and substations to increase capacity of the power grid.

Q: What’s the longer-term TTEC view for South Africa and the continent?

Garabette: Every new job we create supports eight people beyond contact centres to include catering, transportation, and real estate. We’re focused on leadership development. For us it’s not only about the jobs but about careers, respected professions with long-term potential.

Costelha: TTEC’s Impact Strategy is focussed not solely on sourcing talent but creating jobs near people’s homes, to invest in their communities, and bring sustainable economic vibrancy with lasting outcomes.

25 call center technology trends & best practices

Courtesy of CallMiner

1 - Get comfortable with call center AI adoption.

“Challenges aside, teams have shown big progress in their adoption journey. In fact, 62% of organisations report having at least partially implemented AI technologies, with only 24% remaining in the early stages of AI implementation. In the earlier stages of adoption, organisations tend to focus on foundational use cases that can drive proven ROI, before moving on to more complex use cases, such as predictive analytics. The survey shows the top motivator for AI adoption is the automation of tasks to improve efﬁciency and agent productivity (44%).

“As organisations see demonstrated progress from their AI adoption, they tend to be less fearful of the unknown. CX and contact center decision-makers are more conﬁdent than ever before in their ability to manage AI, with only 21% now viewing it as too complex – a signiﬁcant drop from 31% last year. Plus, fewer are concerned about

AI exposing companies to security or compliance risks, with only 38% of respondents expressing this worry, down from 45% in 2023.”

Findings reveal

87% of CX leaders say genAI is key for their teams

91% agree AI will help optimise #CX strategies and more!

2 - Generative AI will make its way into most forms of customer support.

“Gartner predicts that by 2025, 80% of customer service and support organisations will be applying generative AI technology in some form to improve agent productivity and customer experience (CX). Generative AI, which is currently at the Peak of Inﬂated Expectations, will primarily be used for content creation, AI-supported chatbots, and automation of human work.

“Generative AI’s biggest impact is likely to be

on customer experience. According to a recent Gartner poll, 38% of leaders see improving customer experience and retention as the primary purpose of initiatives to deploy applications trained on large language models.

“‘The impact of AI on the customer service function cannot be overstated,’ said [Drew] Kraus [Gartner VP Analyst]. ‘Not only do we expect organisations to replace 20-30% of their agents with generative AI, but also anticipate it creating new jobs to implement such capabilities.’”

3 - IVR is expected to grow.

to stop fraud

“Interactive Voice Response Market size was valued at USD 5.56 Billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 9.26 Billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 6.19% during the forecast period 2024-2031.

“The market drivers for the Interactive Voice Response Market can be inﬂuenced by various factors. These may include:

Cost Savings and Enhanced Operational Effectiveness: IVR systems provide automated customer inquiry processing, which eliminates the need for live agent assistance. Businesses beneﬁt from lower staff expenses and increased operational efﬁciency as a result of quicker customer query resolution.

Improved Customer Experience:

Self-service features offered by IVR systems let users quickly obtain information, complete transactions, and handle problems without having to wait for a live representative. By providing convenience and accessibility around-the-clock, this improves consumer happiness.

Customer Expectations are rising, and businesses are using IVR systems to satisfy consumers’ demands for immediate and individualised service. IVR systems can be conﬁgured to give personalised answers in

response to input from customers, improving their experience as a whole.

Integration with sophisticated Technologies:

To provide more intelligent and context-aware interactions, IVR systems are being integrated with sophisticated technologies including artiﬁcial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and natural language processing (NLP). This makes it possible to provide predictive support, individualised responses, and more precise call routing.

Flexibility and Scalability: IVR systems are ﬂexible enough to adapt to changing business requirements and have the scalability to manage variations in call volumes. Because of its scalability and versatility, IVR systems can be used by companies of all sizes in a variety of industries.

Demand for Multichannel Customer Engagement: Organisations are implementing IVR systems that facilitate multichannel interactions as a result of the growing usage of various communication channels, including chat, email, SMS, and

voice. Smooth customer interaction across several touchpoints is made possible by IVR systems that are integrated with omnichannel platforms.”

4 - Chatbots could become the number-one customer service channel for many businesses.

“By 2027, chatbots will become the primary customer service channel for roughly a quarter of organisations, according to Gartner, Inc.

‘Chatbots and virtual customer assistants (VCAs) have evolved over the past decade to become a critical technology component of a service organisation’s strategy,’ said Uma Challa, Sr Director Analyst in the Gartner Customer Service & Support practice. ‘When designed correctly, chatbots can improve customer experience and drive positive customer emotion at a lower cost than live interactions.’

“A Gartner customer service and support (CSS) survey of 50 respondents conducted online in

January and February 2022 revealed 54% of respondents are using some form of chatbot, VCA or other conversational AI platform for customer-facing applications.”

5 - Look to unsolicited feedback to improve CX.

“As organisations interact with customers across an increasing number of channels, they are collecting more data than ever before. Even so, not all data is equal. Historically, most CX leaders have relied on solicited feedback –collected through methods like surveys and reviews – that is often limited or polarised. This means that C-suite executives and board members are only seeing measures such as Net Promoter Score (NPS) and customer satisfaction (CSAT), which are only part of the CX story. On the other hand, unsolicited feedback – gathered from natural customer interactions like contact center interactions or social media – offers a broader, more accurate picture of customer sentiment and emotions, especially when combined with or compared to solicited feedback.

“This shift is evident, with the reliance on solicited feedback decreasing over the last three years. Today, 64% of organisations still rely on solicited feedback as their primary data source, down from 71% in 2023 and 79% in 2022. Further, a quarter of organisations now collect equal amounts of solicited and unsolicited feedback, which helps them gain a more holistic picture of the voice of the customer (VoC) and CX.”

6 - Contact centers should consider varied customer needs when implementing new contact channels.

“On average, business buyers engage with companies across 10 channels, while consumers typically use eight. How customers decide which channel to use depends on where they are and what they’re doing. 71% of customers prefer different channels depending on context.”

The survey found that 93% of customers prefer email, followed by phone (88%) and in-person communication (86%). Social media

(64%), online communities (49%), and video chat (48%) were the least used.

7 - Cloud-based platforms offer scalability and cost-effectiveness.

“The Cloud-based Contact Center Market size is estimated at USD 27.22 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 87.10 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 26.19% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

“The cloud-based contact center market refers to the industry that provides cloud-based services for managing customer interactions and communications. It involves using cloud computing technologies to deliver contact center functionalities and capabilities over the Internet.

Cloud-based contact centers are highly scalable, allowing businesses to easily adjust their capacity based on changing customer demands. Organisations can quickly add or remove agents and resources, ensuring optimal performance and cost efﬁciency.

The market's growth is driven by reduced capital expenses and faster deployment associated with cloud-based contact centers. Traditional on-premises contact centers require substantial upfront investments in hardware, software licenses, infrastructure setup, and maintenance. In contrast, cloud-based contact centers operate on a subscription or pay-as-you-go model, signiﬁcantly reducing capital expenditures.

Organisations can avoid the high initial costs of purchasing and maintaining hardware equipment, such as servers and networking infrastructure. Instead, they can leverage the infrastructure provided by the cloud service provider, paying only for the resources they need. This cost-effective model allows businesses of all sizes to access advanced contact center capabilities without a heavy ﬁnancial burden.”

8 - Contact centers will embrace remote work

more than ever before.

“Sixty-nine percent of surveyed organisations — compared to 34% in 2018 — still have a work-from-home program in place, with 73% expecting to have a work-from-home program in place within two years.”

9 - The future of the contact center is omnichannel support.

“Omnichannel customer support offers beneﬁts to customers and businesses.

“For customers: Omnichannel customer support creates personalised, seamless support experiences for customers. When a customer contacts a company through one channel and later needs support via another channel, that customer’s data remains in the system, so the company can provide uninterrupted support. Companies also use the feedback gathered from all channels to improve experiences for all customers.

“For businesses: When customers are happy, businesses beneﬁt. Omnichannel customer support gives companies insight into how customers really feel based on feedback from phone conversations, emails, social media, and other channels. This allows businesses to change their processes, services, or products to best meet their customers’ needs, potentially improving customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and revenue.”

10 - Contact centers will make support more customer-centric.

“[One] trend shaping contact center automation is the continued rise of customer-centricity. The idea is simple: Putting customer needs ﬁrst won’t only improve your brand image, but it can also lead to several competitive advantages. For example, customer-centric organisations can expect: Stronger retention: A positive customer experience may lead to more frequent purchases, maximising lifetime value.

Reduced churn: Meeting customer expectations will delight consumers, giving them fewer reasons to abandon their brands for a competitor.

Better decision-making: Focusing on CX allows you to analyse customer behavior. These ﬁndings, in turn, provide valuable insight into preferences, trends, and motivations.

“As this new service model grows popular, organisations can leverage automation technology to make it more targeted and effective. After all, no two consumers are the same—and that’s why customer interaction analytics are so important.”

11. Improve audio quality for remote agents.

“Implement noise reduction software to minimise background noise and improve call quality. This enhances focus and maintains professionalism during customer interactions.”

12 - AI will assist, not replace.

“Despite fears that AI could replace jobs, the CX Landscape Report found that most organisations are leveraging AI to empower their employees rather than replace them. Ninety percent of organisations believe AI will unlock their employees' full potential. This belief is reﬂected in the 43% of respondents who are using AI to automate repetitive tasks, allowing frontline agents to focus on more strategic, complex work.

“In addition to task automation, AI is playing a role in elevating employee performance. For example, nearly two in ﬁve organisations use AI-driven scoring to evaluate customer interactions and agent performance, while 46% employ AI-powered real-time guidance

during live customer interactions. These tools are a critical part of boosting productivity, enhancing CX quality, and improving the frontline employee experience.”

13 - Contact centers should create a multimodal voice strategy that aligns with customer needs.

“Voice technology is best suited for resolving simple, uncontroversial issues like rescheduling appointments or paying bills, according to Thomas Randall, director of AI market research at Info-Tech Research Group. More complicated problems are better addressed by humans.

“‘Customers calling for service are often already emotionally charged, and having a voice option to tell them ‘they understand’ leads to an inauthentic experience and demand for a human agent, which defeats the purpose of investing in the voice option,’ Randall told CX Dive in an email.

“Companies may not want to discount the opportunities for an automation-to-human

handoff, however. For example, a customer seeking to change their airline ticket may start with an automated voice assistant on the airline’s app, said Tobias Dengel, president of Telus Digital Solutions. If any problems arise the conversation could continue with a live representative who is prepared to continue the conversation from where it left off.

“‘The primary shift that companies and brands need to make is to view the entire customer journey as a cohesive multimodal voice experience, rather than segmenting it into apps, bots, and human interactions,’ Dengel told CX Dive in an email.”

14 - More self-service tools will be available for customers.

“As organisations have introduced a proliferation of digital engagement channels, customers have grown to expect instantaneous, effortless customer service experiences. Simultaneously, introducing more channels can increase customer effort as customers move between them.“Digital customer service offerings focus on seamless

conversation orchestration across digital channels. The desire for self-service, combined with the emergence of conversational AI, has led to an evolution of most engagement models. As such, Gartner sees the emergence of a new area of customer care referred to as ‘digital customer service.’

“‘Digital customer service will transform customer experience outcomes by reducing friction and eliminating unnecessary customer effort,’ said [Drew] Kraus [Gartner VP Analyst]. ‘By creating a seamless customer experience, this technology will reduce churn and enhance customer satisfaction.’”

15 - AI could ease tensions for call center agents.

Japan’s SoftBank Corp., a telecommunications ﬁrm that is a subsidiary of Softbank Group (along with the Softbank Vision Fund), has unveiled an AI-driven

technology that alters the voice of angry customers, giving them a calmer demeanor, which it says can help protect workers from the mental tolls of being screamed at and harassed.

“The technology is expected to be available in ﬁscal 2025, after additional ﬁne-tuning, according to the company. It changes angry rants of frustrated customers to a calmer tone.

Toshiyuki Nakatani, who developed the tech, said he used a character from the popular anime series Gegege no Kitaro as his voice inspiration.

“The AI was trained with the help of 10 actors who were hired to perform over 100 phrases in a wide range of emotions. The words spoken by the customers to agents aren’t changed, just factors like pitch and inﬂection. “While it does remove the fury, the AI doesn’t completely eliminate emotion. If someone is angry, the call center worker will still know it, but the vocal tones of their complaints will be

softened, so they don’t get the full brunt of that rage.

“And to prevent workers from being caught in an extended call where the customers continue to demand something the worker cannot supply, the AI will decide if the call has gone on too long or become too hostile, then send out a message alerting the customer the call is about to be terminated.”

16 - AI technologies could continue to improve revenue.

“Contact center and sales leaders are using AI to improve revenue. AI can monitor trends, keywords, levels of engagement, sales team interactions, and macroeconomic factors. And all of this information provides insight for managers to be more effective. “For example, if managers can more accurately predict revenue or shortfalls for the quarter, they can take action to mitigate. Natural Language Processing and sentiment analysis can

evaluate conversations to identify opportunities that have the most likelihood of closing—shifting agents or sales reps to focus on those deals. AI also can identify differences in top performers and deliver personalised sales training to those who are not top performers.

“Sales performance is becoming more vital in the contact center, as 54.3% of companies have assigned sales quotas to customer service representatives. This is a way for companies to increase revenue overall and became particularly popular during the pandemic. It also offers a way to pay agents more through commission plans.

“Agent assist, again, emerges as the top technology, in this case for helping to close sales: 42% of companies are using it in that manner, followed by virtual assistants (39.6%), personalised online sales training (38.9%) and analytics (34.5%).”

17 - Proactive, not reactive, CX will become the norm.

“Organisations will shift from reactive service centers to centers that take proactive control of the customer relationship. A customer’s real and potential individual needs will be identiﬁed and solved before the customer thinks to reach out. The predictive nature of engagement will allow companies to complete purchase assistance, deliveries, status updates, appointments, and other tasks with precision, personalisation, and minimal effort.

“Data from all customer interactions will be fed back into analytics to inform operations, help the company understand behavior patterns, and guide the organisation on what matters to each customer. Creating this distinctive experience will rely on data-driven recommendations for the

best method, channel, and time to interact with individual customers. Setting up this feedback process will be a critical element for personalisation. For example, contact centers will automatically determine the optimal time to reach out with an offer based on recent customer actions as well as when live outreach is required to prevent attrition or build personal relationships. Customer feedback, behaviors, and trend data will ﬂow directly from the contact center to the rest of the enterprise to improve products, marketing, or upstream interactions (such as the in-store experience and marketing outreach and promotions).”

18 - Expect biometrics to strengthen security.

“With cyber threats surging by 78% in 2023 alone, safeguarding sensitive customer data is more important than ever for call

centers. “Voice biometrics is emerging as an interesting solution. By analysing a caller’s unique vocal characteristics, it functions like a vocal ﬁngerprint — providing a secure and convenient way to verify a customer’s identity.

“For customers, voice biometrics technology removes the hassle of remembering complex passwords or answering security questions. Their voice becomes their key, making for a slick, seamless experience.

“Voice biometrics also protect call centers against fraud and identity theft. The technology eliminates the vulnerabilities associated with passwords, a common target for hackers. As voice biometrics technology continues to advance, it’s set to become a standard feature in the call centers of the future.”

19 - Automated tools can

improve DEI.

“Not surprisingly, technology has taken on a starring role in fostering DEI within call centers. Innovations like Voice Productivity software lead the charge with solutions tailor-made to challenge biases and cultivate inclusivity.

“Automated transcription features empower deaf and neurodiverse individuals to excel at their work, thereby shaping a more inclusive workspace. Accent Localisation has been a game-changer. It dissolves communication barriers and unlocks opportunities for a diverse, global workforce.

“By helping build a level playing ﬁeld, these call center tools ensure that diversity is more than just a token head count; it’s about meaningful participation, contribution, and active inclusion. Much more than a mere productivity booster, it’s a crucial ally in the journey

toward a workspace that genuinely embodies diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

20 - Software and tools should easily connect to one another.

“A uniﬁed agent desktop that integrates CRM, ACD, IVR, and outbound communication tools into one interface reduces the time agents spend navigating systems, thereby decreasing Average Handle Time (AHT) and improving the customer experience. Additionally, advanced IVR systems can be used not only for routing but also for resolving standard inquiries without agent intervention, effectively decreasing call volumes. “Today, integration extends to include AI. Generative AI-fueled chatbots are increasingly handling initial customer interactions, gathering necessary information, and solving routine problems. These AI-fueled chatbots can

process natural language, understand customer intent, and provide accurate responses based on the data accessed from integrated systems. Their advanced capabilities have led to more than seven out of ten customers (74%) saying that they prefer to speak to AI for simple queries, rather than human agents.”

21 - Synthetic data could become as prominent as natural data.

“By 2026, 75% of businesses will use generative AI to create synthetic customer data, up from less than 5% in 2023.

“Development of synthetic — i.e., artiﬁcially generated — data supports systems where real data is expensive, unavailable, imbalanced or unusable because of privacy regulations.

“Introducing synthetic data into models enables organisations to simulate

environments and identify new product development opportunities, especially in highly regulated industries. It also enables fast prototyping of software, digital, and hybrid experiences.

“Focus use of synthetic data in areas that directly correlate to business growth, such as the development of customer segments, journeys and experiences and training of machine learning models.”

22 - Expect conversational intelligence to become more sophisticated.

“We can also expect to see improvements in speech analytics, an AI technology that analyses conversations between customers and agents. This will record and analyse agent conversations, highlighting areas for improvement and providing feedback for the agents. It will also provide product feedback for marketing and report broken processes that create a need for the contact in the ﬁrst place.

“Many current technologies still rely heavily on humans to complete analysis, but as AI continues to improve, it will also start to reduce the burden on quality and process improvement teams. It will soon provide 100% coverage on topics like intent recognition, agent

performance, and other interesting data points that can be captured in the millions of conversations a brand has with its customers that we miss out on at present.”

23 - Forward-thinking call centers are investing in AI agents.

“Autonomous AI agents are making customer service more efﬁcient, personalised, and responsive. Imagine an intelligent AI assistant that can anticipate customer needs, provide instant support, and even proactively resolve issues before they escalate. This isn’t just a vision for the future; it’s happening now.

“AI agents continuously learn and improve from each interaction, ensuring that the support they provide becomes more accurate and relevant over time. This leads to higher customer satisfaction scores and increased loyalty. Additionally, autonomous AI agents can work around the clock, offering support whenever customers need it, regardless of time zones or business hours.

“Some service leaders may be afraid that their people lack the skills to handle these emerging AI capabilities. Other leaders may have reservations about trust and

reliability. There’s also the concern that implementing AI would require a major investment in infrastructure.

“These fears are understandable, and all companies should practice caution and care when deploying any technology as powerful as AI. But one thing is clear: AI agents are already connecting, informing, and enriching every aspect of customer service.”

24 - A focus on mobile app technology ensures well-rounded support.

“50.9% of shoppers worldwide use their phones to buy products online at least once a week. This is why, in a world where people are glued to their mobile devices, app optimisation becomes the holy grail of success for call centers.

“As an ever-increasing number of shoppers turn to their cell phones to make purchases and seek assistance, the need for a seamless and efﬁcient app experience becomes paramount. In fact, 59% of shoppers say that being able to make purchases on mobile apps is a key factor when choosing a brand.

“With the rise of mobile commerce, customers expect a smooth and intuitive journey through the digital marketplace. App

optimisation ensures that customers can effortlessly navigate through product catalogues, browse with ease, and complete transactions without unnecessary hurdles. Its importance cannot be overstated. By embracing app technology and optimisation, brands can cultivate customer loyalty, boost their reputation, and thrive in the dynamic landscape of mobile-driven interactions.”

25 - Call centers have an important responsibility to use AI responsibly and ethically.

“In 2025 there will be a growing awareness of the importance of developing and deploying AI in a way that’s ethical, secure, transparent, reliable, and respectful of intellectual property rights. Though some of this will be driven by legislation (more on this below), there's also a growing awareness of the harm that can be caused by the irresponsible use of AI. Many of us are now aware of the dangers of AI bias and hallucination and understand that mitigating this takes concerted effort. Businesses that choose to ignore this or cut corners in 2025 can expect bad publicity, heat from regulators, and short thrift from their customers.”