The South African Call Centre Industry in the 21st Century.
The
South African Call Centre Industry in the 21st Century.
CCNG
AWARDS BANQUET 11 MAY 2002
Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen //////
Allow me to correct that!
A few weeks ago /// shortly before addressing a recent conference
being held in Cape Town /// The conference organiser drew me aside and quietly
pointed out that certain changes had taken place in that part of the world ///
and as a consequence /// I was requested to alter my normal opening salutation.
//// It was pointed to me out that Cape Town is /// in fact ///
the birthplace of our new South African Constitution //// the one that we
are so very proud of … You know
/// the one with all the embedded Rights ////
but precious few corresponding Responsibilities /////
Secondly //// I was reminded that the fair city of Cape Town has ////
how shall I put it ?
/// Adopted certain more
progressive and liberal ways! So //// with any further ado.. ////
Good Evening Ladies,
Gentlemen /// And all those
undecided on the issue of gender !
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is my great privilege to be able to share with you this evening
/// and hopefully /// to win your
support /// on essentially six critically important key issues regarding
the South African call centre industry.
Firstly //// We will take a brief look at our industry metrics – For example:
just how big is the South African industry? /// How many call centres are there
? /// How many workstations ?? /// How many people are employed?
Secondly //// Let’s
take a look at how the South African call centre industry compares with other
countries’ and regions.
Thirdly /// We have some really exciting industry growth projections.
The fourth dimension
poses the question : Can South Africa attract large-scale call centre
business from Europe and North American operators?
And /// can South Africa realistically achieve the much talked-about
target of 100,000 new call centre jobs within the next 3 to 5 years ?
And finally I will close with what I consider to be the key
dependencies that will be required
for the South African call centre industry to achieve its potential greatness.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Size //// as any avid reader of Cosmopolitan , Fair Lady and even You or
Huisgenoot will tell you //// IS
important. But //// the other old adage is
equally true ///// What
really counts is what you do with it.
//// I am /// of course ///
referring to call centres and contact centres.
Well //// just how big is the South African call centre industry?
A recently completed formal study sponsored by Trade & Investment
South Africa /// TISA /// confirms that there are at least 410 formal, ACD-based
call centres in South Africa having at least 20 agent positions. //// In
addition, there are /// we believe /// literally several thousand micro call
centres /// small telebusiness
operations and helpdesks.
But it is these 410 call centres that account for marginally short of 48,000
agent positions or workstations //// and
/// taking shifts and multiple agents into account /// the study
concludes that we already employ in the region of eighty thousand call
centre agents.
Based on responsible assumptions concerning management // administrative
// back office and support staff /// We can be immensely proud /// Ladies and
Gentlemen /// of the fact that
today /// The South African call centre industry provides secure and sustainable
employment to well over 100,000
individuals. /// And, to all intents and purposes, this has been achieved in
less than a decade.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Based on size alone /// Just how does the South African call centre
industry compare with other major European call centre hubs ?
Here’s an astounding fact // According to the credible TISA-sponsored research //// the South African call centre industry is more than two and a half times the size of the call centre industry in The Republic of Ireland.
And there’s more ///// We
have nearly twice as many call centres as both Northern Ireland and The
Republic of Ireland combined ///// And
Ireland has long been cited as THE call
centre capital of the world. ///
Our industry is also comparable in size with that of The Netherlands.
And here’s yet another startling
fact /// ladies and gentlemen /// Were
South Africa a member of the European Union /// we would have the FIFTH largest
installed base of call centres of the fifteen member states.
Bottom line //// In terms of both size and capability /// the South
African call centre industry can justifiably stand proudl /// shoulder to
shoulder /// with virtually any European call centre nation or region.//// The
South African industry has truly
arrived in the international arena. /// And we are ready /// willing ///
eminently able // and poised // to take on the best of the best.
And what about growth ?
From our existing base of roughly 50,000 agent positions, formal
research indicates that the SA call centre industry can be expected to achieve
at least a 14% per annum compound ORGANIC growth over the next few years.
This extrapolates to marginally short of 100,000 new agent
positions or workstations within five years. ////
Taking the average of one point six agents per workstation /// we can
conservatively look forward to employing roughly
150,000 agents and a further 50,000 management, back office and support
personnel by 2007. ////
That’s 200,000 jobs /// ladies and gentlemen /// 200,000 jobs.
But what if South African successfully attracts major call centre
operations from European and other international markets? ////
Can we create AN ADDITIONAL 100,000 jobs ?
YES …. I do believe that
it can be done!
Is this a pipe-dream ? ////
Not long ago there were many who thought so ///
But the converse realities are starting to manifest /// Many major
European and North American call centre operators are turning their eyes to
South Africa /// they are impressed
with what they see. // Not only in respect of what our industry is capable of
delivering in terms of world-class, quality services but also /// in terms of
the pure and fairly obvious economics ///
We do, indeed, have virtually all the prerequisites to take our
rightful place as the preferred location for international call centre
and CRM support services.
It is unquestionably good news for South African call centre
agents, supervisors and managers /// all of whom are at the right time and in
the right place to become part of South Africa’s entry into the international
call centre arena. ///
And /// who knows /// to build international careers /// Earning
Dollars /// And Pounds // And Euros ….
And above all /// Ladies and Gentlemen // It is good news for
South Africa /// For our economy and for those who will find long-term and
well-paid jobs and sustainable careers in our ranks.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But its NOT all necessarily good news …… There are a
number of very real challenges /// Indeed
/// there are some loudly-sounding alarm bells too !
Like all dreams of any consequence /// The realization of the
dream of a mighty South African call centre industry taking on the best of the
best in the world /// is totally reliant on at least six
interrelated KEY DEPENDENCIES.
Number One: Our industry will require National, Provincial and
Local Government recognition, commitment and the provision of tangible
support. ///
Particularly in the context of attracting international business,
subsidies and incentives comparable to those offered elsewhere in the
world MUST comprise a key element of our offerings.
Dependency Number Two: If
we are to grow and to sustain the growth of our industry and our people // I
believe that it will require the deployment of co-ordinated international and
local marketing and communication efforts ///
On the one hand /// these efforts need to be focussed on attracting
large-scale inward investment /// On the other hand /// locally, we need to
enhance the corporate and the public image of the call centre industry
/// The later to ensure that we attract sufficient CAREER-orientated staff and
management necessary to support growth. ///
Let’s never forget //// enthusiastic and well-trained labour is the
very life-blood of our industry.
In this context our industry calls upon the DTI and TISA and other
government agencies //// as well as the private sector
- the vendors and the service providers that will directly benefit // to
work synergistically to achieve these goals.
Key Dependency Three: There
are many of us who believe that
it is imperative that the various South African call centre
representative bodies and trade and professional associations
create the mechanisms to work together to achieve consensus-driven goals
and objectives.
To this end // much has already been achieved. /// A
great deal of credit must certainly go to The Services SETA for that
organisation’s relentless efforts to catalyse the synergies of the various
call centre associations and bodies by facilitating workshops and meetings that
have already given rise to the formation of The
South African Call Centre Council. ////
These
initiatives will certainly go a long way towards supporting the credibility of
our industry in international circles.
Dependency Four –To be competitive as a global player /// our
industry will have to constantly strive to develop and maintain internationally
recognised call centre management and operational standards.
//// To this end, the CCNG
must certainly be recognised and congratulated for its on-going efforts /// and
for its successes. /// Tonight’s event is just one of those successes.
In many respects the call centre competencies and standards that
have already been developed here in South Africa are on a par with and have been
benchmarked against best practices
and UK and European Union call centre
standards. /// But we still have a long, long way to go /// particularly when it
comes to the competencies and standards required at senior levels of call centre
management.
We also need to be aware of the demanding standards of many of the
international operators looking to South Africa //// In particular // the
Americans!
Dependency Five: Notwithstanding
the impending de-regulation of telecommunications – for South Africa to
compete for international call centre and CRM support business // all of our
carriers – fixed line – satellite and cellular – will need to co-operate
with the industry to ensure that South Africa can be rightly seen to not only be
in a position to provide true world class services /// but to do so within the
parameters of highly competitive international tariffs.
Finally – Dependency Number Six: To grow and sustain a profitable and rewarding industry for all
stakeholders /// what will unquestionably be required is a cohesive recruitment,
training, placement and on-going skills development programme and the mechanisms
and organisational structures to support these vital initiatives /// and
concurrently /// to ensure that growth and job creation is in line with our
national demographic profile.
Indeed //// our South
African call centre industry has come a long, long way in the past decade /// It
has grown in leaps and bounds /// and // I believe /// with a passion
/// that it will continue to grow ///
and in so doing /// it will create benefits and advantages for our
country /// and for the peoples of this truly blessed country of ours.
Thank you for your kind attention. ///
Back to Top of the Page, Overview
Page, What's New
or Home Page.
