Catalytic BPO sector creates more than 2 500 jobs in the last quarter

Between July and September this year, through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2 633 additional jobs have been created in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector in Cape Town. Read more below:

We have reason to be both proud and hopeful. Cape Town, despite these trying times, is still seen as one of the preferred destinations for contact centres to base their operations.

Together with the City’s Enterprise and Investment Department, I focus on catalytic sectors that have great potential for investment in our city and which creates job opportunities for our residents.

That is why we fund CapeBPO, as a strategic business partner to grow the industry. I am immensely proud that this partnership has resulted in the addition of 2 633 additional jobs just in the second quarter of 2020.

For our City to compete globally and experience inclusive socio-economic growth, we must continue investing in skills and training for the sectors that are poised for substantial employment and trade increases, instead of training for the sake of training.

Due to my many engagements with key stakeholders in this sector over the various stages of lockdown I was able to lobby my national counterparts to assist the sector to continue to provide services. I engaged with the National Government to make the case for contact centres to gain essential service status so that they could operate during lockdown. I was also very happy to be able to help this sector retain jobs by equipping their staff to work from home.

As a part of our commitment to grow this sector, the City of Cape Town looks forward to announcing an exciting collaboration with the National and Provincial Government early next month to ensure more youth are upskilled and placed in employment opportunities.

We will continue to partner with this sector to ensure jobs and investment are retained and expanded so we can recover faster, and create more opportunities for the residents of the city.