Business Times writes that Amazon's announcement last week that it plans to hire 3,000 people in its local customer service division has provided a powerful boost for SA’s credentials in business process outsourcing (BPO).
An Amazon spokesperson commented on Friday: Amazon has a long history in South Africa. We opened our Customer Service Centre in Cape Town 10 years ago, and the team has been delivering industry-leading customer service to customers around the globe ever since. We're excited to continue investing in South Africa and to bring our permanent headcount in the country to 7,000." The new hiring spree began a few days after a report was issued by Ryan Strategic Advisory naming SA the world's second-most desirable offshore customer service delivery site, for the third year in a row. Last year SA shared second position with India, and ranked below the Philippines. Both India and SA moved ahead of the Philippines this year. Ryan Advisory remarked: "Outsourcers in South Africa, along with the industry representative body (BPESA), have been possibly the most aggressive stakeholders of any country in the offshoring game in regards to investment promotion over the past 12-18 months. These efforts have included multiple delegations to Australia, the UK and North America. These initiatives are bearing fruit, as witnessed in this year's ranking."
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Arthur Goldstuck at BusinessLive
- Read too, The case for more call centres in SA grows stronger, at BusinessLive (paywall access only)
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page