• By quade
• 21 August 2024

Secret Reasons for Cape Town BPO Sucess

The success of Cape Town BPOs in South Africa has been instrumental in the growth of the national economy. Not only have they created thousands of jobs, but they have attracted many foreign investors and developed the IT sector in the country.

Today, they stand out as among the most BPO-friendly countries in the world alongside India and the Philippines. According to some industry leaders in the area, the reason for this is the attitude of the South African BPO Workers.

The Success of the Cape Town BPO Sector

Even though South Africa’s economy as a whole has been sluggish, outsourcing specifically the Cape Town BPOs has been a bright spot in the industry. These centers employ an estimated 50,000 workers, up more than 12 times what it was two decades ago. In Cape Town alone there have been 10,000 new jobs directly from BPOs.

Among these players is CapeBPO CEO Clayton Williams who noted that this sector has been integral for young people who serve as breadwinners for their families. Not only does this ensure that the BPO sector enjoys a young and healthy workforce, it allows these communities to thrive.

This also creates a space for promotion where employers can rise through the ranks quickly if they display enough success. That is where the success of Cape Town BPOs lies, their ability to express empathy and willingness to help customers. 

Cape Town BPOs Secret Weapon is Empathy

Although their success has often been attributed to the neutral accents of South Africans, another reason could be their innate empathy. With young Cape Town BPO workers having to go through a difficult time including rising crime rates, political instability, and much more, many of them have become more compassionate in their work.

They understand the pain of dealing with issues and tend to act more empathetically in their work. This is especially useful in industries like customer services or marketing where being able to create a human connection is important. 

“It’s connecting with customers, which I think is giving us a global advantage. And I think that’s got a lot to do with our history and, you know, the diversity that exists within South Africa. You know, we’ve had a difficult past, and, you know, socioeconomic challenges that we face have allowed South Africans to be resilient.”

-Clayton Williams, CEO of CapeBPO

He has observed that some workers will go off script to help customers and talk to them directly. For customers, this helps make the customer feel as if they are being listened to and creates a positive experience for them.

Such actions aren’t unique to South Africa either. The Philippines is also noted for having a very friendly workforce that often goes above and beyond to help clients.

“If there’s anything I can kind of pick out as a golden thread, it’s customer experience and our ability as South Africans and Capetonians to connect with customers, to make them feel valued. And irrespective of whether there’s a resolution at the end of that engagement, the customer walks away saying that, you know, I’ve had a meaningful conversation with somebody that cares.”

-Clayton Williams, CEO of CapeBPO

These efforts have not gone unnoticed as the government, both local and national have been supportive of these developments and invested in them. They set up training initiatives and helped greatly increase the budget of Cape Town BPOs. For example, CapeBPO’s training budget started with R 1,2 million, but the government has increased it to R800 million a year.

Foreign Investor Opportunities

While Cape Town BPOs have shown success so far, they believe there is further potential if US investors enter the market. So far some of them have been interested in seeing the BPO’s success. 

“So, we’ve seen a massive influx of US clients. And the primary difference between UK and US clients is that US clients’ pilots are tenfold in terms of size compared to the UK. Now, UK clients will typically do pilots of, you know, 30 to 50, whereas US clients will do pilots of 300 to 500. I think we’re on the precipice of exponential growth because of US market penetration.”

-Clayton Williams, CEO of CapeBPO

If this industry reaches its full potential, it can mean huge developments in the tech and outsourcing sector for the country. It may even generate up to 500,000 jobs by 2030 if all things go to plan. 

How Can BPOs Benefit from Cape Town BPOs?

Others in the BPO global industry should pay close attention to the Cape Town BPOs. Despite all the struggles of the country, the BPO sector remains one of the few bright spots showing it can thrive in difficult places.

One reason for this is the unparalleled customer service they offer, providing support off the script. This is something other BPO employees can learn from. Being able to go above and beyond for customers are thing that many customers will notice and support.

Lastly, it shows the importance of having strong tech and IT services. This has helped level up Cape Town BPOs, allowing them to provide more services outside of customer service.