About 10 427 new jobs have been created in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector during the past financial year, from April 2024 to March 2025, City of Cape Town Economic Growth MMC Alderman James Vos has said.

“It’s all about prioritising workforce development, preparing more Capetonians to be job-ready for this rapidly growing sector. That’s why the city, through our Economic Development and Investment Department, funds CapeBPO as our industry-focused business partner.

“Through initiatives like the CapeBPO Academy in Athlone, we are fostering strong, workable partnerships with the private sector to ensure we can continuously train,” he said on June 2.

“When global companies are selecting destinations for their operations, Cape Town stands out because we offer . . . world-class connectivity and infrastructure [along with] a skilled and prepared workforce. And that’s because we focus on getting the basics right. A city that is a great place to live becomes a great place to invest,” he added.

The BPO sector has become one of Cape Town’s most successful. In the previous financial year, the sector added about R3.6-billion in new foreign direct investment to the local economy.

Industry-wide, it now contributes about R24-billion a year to the Western Cape economy, matching the impact of the tourism sector.

Further, CapeBPO has implemented several initiatives to prepare youth for future careers in the industry.

One example is a training school programme designed for Grade 12 learners. This initiative allows young people to gain first-hand experience in how the BPO industry works, giving them a solid foundation and easing their transition into further training, and ultimately into full-time employment.

“Every one of these jobs represents not just a payslip, but the dignity of work and the ability for someone to contribute meaningfully to their household, community, and the broader economy,” Vos said.

CapeBPO CEO Clayton Williams said the continued growth and success of the BPO sector in Cape Town illustrated what might be possible if the public and private sectors worked together towards a common goal. 

“In this case, that goal is creating meaningful careers at scale by delivering world-class service to international customers. As a strategic partner to the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape government, CapeBPO . . . act[s] as the conduit between the public and private sectors, and we are most grateful to every operator that we represent within the ecosystem for each job and gainful employment opportunity that they provide to those that need it the most, especially our unemployed youth,” he said.

“When I engage with international companies, I always highlight that Capetonians . . . are our competitive advantage,” Vos said.