The latest Global Business Services (GBS) quarterly Job Creation Report, compiled and released by the sector’s national representative body, Business Process Enabling South Africa (BPESA), shows significant employment growth in the sector. The report covered the third quarter of the 2024 financial year, that is, October to December last year, and recorded net creation of 6 290 jobs in the international category. The provision of business services to international customers generated $101-million, or about R1.8-billion, in export revenues.

For the whole of last year, the South African GBS sector created 20 518 jobs. The export revenues generated totalled $328-million, or some R6-billion. The sector has grown by 200% in just five years and is, BPESA pointed out, now one of the world’s leading providers of offshore business services.

“The continued growth and job creation are a testament to our industry’s commitment to building careers for South Africans, especially our youth and those from marginalised communities,” highlighted BPESA CEO Reshni Singh. “We are encouraged by ongoing discussions with the [Department of Trade, Industry and Competition] regarding a revised incentives package for the industry and remain confident that with the right level of support the sector will drive further economic upliftment while showcasing South Africa’s distinctive flair in servicing international customers.”

Of the new jobs created in the third quarter, 42.8% went to people from marginalised communities. This was the result of the sector’s focus on “impact sourcing”, that is, the active recruitment of people from such communities. Further, 92% of these jobs went to people in the age range of 18 to 34.

Of the new jobs, 48% were to support customers in the UK (the biggest single market for the South African GBS sector) and 32% were to support customers in the US. In terms of job functions, 71% of the new positions were in “frontline” positions, that is, voice-based call centre jobs. The main sectors served by the new employees are utilities and energy (30.54%), retail and e-commerce (18.3%) and telecoms (13.73%).

In addition to creating new jobs, the sector also had a focus on training and upskilling its existing employees. The period October to December last year saw 26 876 workers in the sector undergo training.