Cape Town: Member of the Mayoral Committee for Economic Growth – Alderman James Vos said that the workforce data shows thousands of residents from communities such as Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha and Langa are powering the booming call centre industry of the city.
Reportedly, the figures show that the largest share of employees in international business process outsourcing (BPO) centres live in Mitchells Plain (16.3%), followed by Khayelitsha (15.3%), Langa (7.5%), Athlone (6.6%), Hanover Park (4.9%), Delft (4.2%), Elsies River (3.7%), Grassy Park (3.5%), Kraaifontein (3.5%) and Manenberg (3.2%).
In total, about 70,000 Capetonians work in BPO centres servicing international clients. While a further 30,000 residents are employed in domestic call centres, by bringing total employment in the sector to roughly 100,000 people across Cape Town.
The suburb breakdown forms part of an analysis commissioned by Alderman James Vos through CapeBPO, as the City’s special purpose vehicle and industry body is responsible for growing the sector.
James Vos stated that they have often been asked “where the people working in these call centres actually come from and which communities benefit from the growth of this industry.” He specifically wanted to see the numbers so the team could better understand the geographic spread of these jobs across the Cape Town.
Many BPO operations are located in established commercial hubs such as the CBD, Woodstock, Athlone and Century City. The workforce behind those operations lives across communities throughout the metro. Vos stated that in many ways it confirms that the benefits of this sector has extended far beyond the office buildings where these operations are based.
Considering this, CEO of CapeBPO – Clayton Williams said that it was important to understand where the industry’s workforce lived, as it provides a critical lens into how the BPO sector is driving impact across Cape Town.
According to Williams, this knowledge strengthens the ability to align future investment, skills development and infrastructure to ensure even greater access to opportunity for communities across the metro.
For years, strengthening and expanding Cape Town’s BPO sector has been a priority for the directorate. Working closely with industry partners and CapeBPO, has shifted the focus on three areas: positioning Cape Town as a leading global destination for BPO investment, building a strong pipeline of skills through targeted training programmes, and supporting the landing of new international operators in the city.
Cape Town has built a strong reputation as one of the world’s leading destinations for business process outsourcing, with companies attracted by the city’s English-speaking workforce, favourable time zone and strong telecommunications infrastructure. The growth of call centres has also helped in revitalising areas where they operate.
Alderman James Vos has further explained that when these operations open, they will bring people and activity into an area. Restaurants and shops will open, transport routes are going to become busier and surrounding businesses will gain benefit. In many cases, they become catalysts for broader economic activity and place-making.
Looking ahead, Alderman Vos said that the data will also help in guiding where future operations could be located. He said that this is now helping him in looking at how they can bring more of these centres closer to where people actually live. Areas such as Mitchells Plain, Athlone and Bellville are part of that conversation as they explore how to align future investment with the city’s economic geography.
The BPO sector shows what happens when global demand connects with local talent, and it’s something they want to keep building because of the opportunities it creates for Capetonians.