Eastern Cape builds on GBS job growth, strengthens partnerships following BPESA conference

The Eastern Cape is building on its growing presence in the Global Business Services (GBS) sector, with renewed focus on attracting investment, strengthening industry partnerships and expanding employment opportunities for young people.

This follows the province's participation in the South African GBS | BPO Conference held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on 10 and 11 November 2026.

The conference provided an opportunity for the province to showcase its GBS value proposition, engage with industry leaders and explore opportunities to expand its participation in a sector increasingly recognised for its potential to create employment, particularly for young people.

The Eastern Cape's recent employment growth demonstrates the industry's potential. According to BPESA, the province recorded 1612 net new GBS jobs in 2025, compared with 251 in 2024. This represents significant growth and reinforces the sector's importance in expanding access to employment opportunities.

The province currently has approximately 5323 people employed in the GBS sector, based on available operator figures.

Nelson Mandela Bay accounts for the larger share of the sector's current employment, supported by the presence of international operators. At the same time, Buffalo City has a stronger concentration of operators serving the domestic market.

The growth reflects the contribution of established industry players, including Teleperformance, Outworx and Interact Contact Centres, alongside the province's ongoing efforts to create an enabling environment for investment and business expansion.

A key focus of the province's engagement at the conference was the opportunity presented by Tier II and Tier III locations as the next frontier for the growth of the South African GBS industry. The Eastern Cape is positioning itself to attract a greater share of this growth through its available infrastructure, established operators, skills development initiatives and investment opportunities.

The province's employment ambitions are also aligned with the industry's commitment to impact sourcing, which seeks to ensure that at least 33% of the workforce is drawn from young people who would not ordinarily have access to these opportunities. The sector primarily targets young people aged 18 to 35, with opportunities extending beyond entry-level contact centre positions into specialised professional services, including legal, accounting and human resource functions.

Infrastructure development will be important in supporting this growth. The ELIDZ's planned 800-seater BPO Park, which is expected to be completed in March 2028, is projected to create approximately 2400 jobs in Buffalo City through operations across three shifts.

The development complements the existing GBS infrastructure and investment opportunities offered by the East London Industrial Development Zone and Coega Special Economic Zone.

Eastern Cape Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism MEC, Ms Nonkqubela Pieters, said the province would continue working with industry partners and development agencies to translate the sector's potential into tangible economic opportunities.

“The growth recorded in the Global Business Services sector demonstrates what is possible when government, industry and development partners work together. The Eastern Cape has an established industry presence and is increasingly demonstrating its ability to attract and support GBS operations.

“Our priority is to build on this progress by strengthening the conditions for investment, supporting existing operators to expand and ensuring that more young people, particularly those who face barriers to employment, can access meaningful and sustainable work opportunities.

“Our participation in the BPESA conference was part of this continued engagement. We will maintain these partnerships and pursue opportunities that can grow the sector and increase its contribution to the provincial economy,” said MEC Pieters.

The Eastern Cape's participation also included engagement with BPESA leadership on opportunities for further collaboration to advance the sector in the province. Discussions explored areas of mutual interest, including investment promotion, industry development and expanding the provincial GBS footprint.

Nationally, BPESA has set a target of creating 500 000 jobs in the GBS sector by 2030. With approximately 5 323 existing jobs and further infrastructure development planned, the Eastern Cape is well-positioned to contribute to this ambition.

The province will continue working with BPESA, industry operators and its development agencies to strengthen its competitiveness as a GBS destination and ensure that the sector's growth translates into increased investment and employment opportunities for the people of the Eastern Cape.