KwaZulu-Natal considered one of Africa’s premier Global Business Services hubs while unlocking opportunities for youth

Province will showcase South Africa’s considerable strengths as a global offshoring destination at upcoming BPESA GBS and BPO Conference

KwaZulu-Natal is entrenching its reputation as one of Africa’s leading Global Business Services (GBS) hubs and a model for inclusive growth, digital innovation, and global competitiveness.

Between 25 and 30% of South Africa’s global services workforce is concentrated in Durban, making it the country’s second largest  global services hub by headcount, with Cape Town occupying prime position.

“As South Africa grapples with a youth unemployment crisis, the GBS sector is playing a pivotal role in shaping a more inclusive economic future. In 2024, the sector created over 20 000 new jobs, with KwaZulu-Natal alone recording just over 6000 new jobs for the year. On average, youth jobs accounted for about 89,25% of new hires for the year, demonstrating the attractiveness of this growth sector for its youth job creation potential,” says Reshni Singh, CEO at Business Process Enabling South Africa (BPESA), the official trade body for South Africa's GBS sector.

“Through initiatives such as Innovate Durban, which runs Youth Innovation Challenges and digital skills bootcamps to upskill youth in areas such as IT, coding, and problem-solving strategic talent development, the province is equipping a new generation for the digital economy,” says Russell Curtis of Invest Durban.

Frontline sales and customer experience excellence

KwaZulu-Natal(KZN) is home to exceptional B2C and B2B outbound sales talent serving the global business services market. The province offers tailored, intelligence-driven customer experience and lifecycle management expertise that ensures high-quality service delivery. Many delivery centres maintain ISO-certified security and quality management processes, reinforcing their commitment to excellence.

“In addition, our service agents demonstrate natural empathy and strong relational skills along with a neutral English accent, all of which are ideal attributes for delivering high-quality communication and customer interactions,” says Curtis.

KZN hosts multichannel, multilingual global delivery centres operating 24/7/365, servicing markets across the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. “Critically, labour and operational costs are 65-70% lower than source geographies such as Manchester, Dallas and Sydney, delivering significant cost savings without compromising service quality,” he adds.

Digitally-driven insights and analytics capabilities

The province is rapidly expanding its capabilities in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, machine learning (ML), and real-time analytics. It has proven expertise in behavioural analytics, effectively tracking customer touchpoints and interactions, while its technology-enabled contact centre services include instant messaging and web chat, ensuring seamless and responsive customer engagement across digital platforms.

Showcasing the power of South Africa’s GBS Sector

“South Africa ranks as the world's third most attractive offshoring destination. KwaZulu-Natal's GBS sector demonstrates that we can compete globally while creating meaningful opportunities at home. This makes it an ideal location for the upcoming BPESA GBS and BPO Conference, taking place in Durban from 3–5 November 2025,” says Singh.

“KwaZulu-Natal is well positioned to be a premier Global Business Services hub, driving inclusive growth and digital innovation. We are committed to supporting initiatives that promote youth employment, skills development and digital transformation. We believe that the upcoming BPESA GBS and BPO Conference will be a game-changer for the province, showcasing our capabilities and attracting new investments. We look forward to collaborating with industry leaders and stakeholders to shape the future of the GBS sector in our province,” says Sihle Ngcamu: CEO Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal.

With a strong focus on digital transformation, inclusive growth, and workforce development, this flagship event will see local and international delegates and thought leaders gather for strategic dialogue, insights into industry development, and partnership-building, helping to shape the next phase of South Africa’s GBS and BPO sector’s evolution.

The 2025 BPESA GBS and BPO Conference has the support of Platinum Sponsor Rand Mutual Assurance (RMA), a trusted provider of workers' compensation and occupational injury insurance, playing a key role in protecting and supporting South Africa’s workforce and their families at work, at home and beyond the workplace. 

Krisp, the Diamond Sponsor, is a pioneering AI voice technology company that enhances communication clarity by removing background noise and voices, softening accents to improve comprehension, and translating speech in real-time, making it an essential tool for high-performance contact centres globally. 

NOTES TO EDITORS

KZN’s GBS value proposition – additional insights

Business-Ready Infrastructure

The Durban Technology Hub (SmartXchange) supports ICT and BPO businesses with enterprise development services and state-of-the-art facilities. This infrastructure fosters innovation and enables seamless operations for global clients.

Durban supports uninterrupted business operations with R600 million in power upgrades and a R43 billion renewable energy initiative for sustainability. The city is at the forefront of renewable energy and sustainable urban development initiatives, reinforcing its commitment to

environmental sustainability and the green economy.

Established domain knowledge and business process expertise

The province has developed strong capabilities in digitally-proficient debt recovery and rehabilitation services. It also possesses creative digital media and direct marketing competencies, among growing expertise in finance and accounting, data analytics, and legal services, showcasing its versatility across business functions. Additionally, the region offers advanced logistics, procurement, and supply chain capabilities.

Higher Quality of Life Durban offers the second-highest quality of life in South Africa, ranking first for traffic efficiency with the shortest commute times, ensuring seamless mobility for residents and businesses

About Business Process Enabling South Africa (BPESA)

Recognised as the national industry body for the GBS sector, the purpose of BPESA, a non-profit entity, is to promote trade and serve the interests of its members and numerous stakeholder groups involved in the development, growth, and sustainability of the Global Business Services (GBS) sector in South Africa.

About the Global Business Services Sector

Global Business Services (GBS) and BPO (Business Process Outsourcing)  are used interchangeably and refer to the outsourcing of services to a third-party service provider, sometimes located in another country. BPESA focuses on the GBS/BPO international profile with a mandate to attract international investment and create an enabling ecosystem for sector development.

South Africa presents a compelling business case for international operators with compatible time zones, sophisticated infrastructure, a reliable IT environment and access to a large skills pool of entry level to graduate skills. This sector has been recognised since at least 2005 as a priority growth sector because of its ability to attract foreign investment and create jobs.

Servicing the local market is a key part of the broader value proposition and builds expertise and skills that feed the international operations.

There are a vast range of GBS / BPO operations across sectors and disciplines, as well as a distinction between outbound and inbound operations.

About the Global Business Services (GBS) Masterplan

Officially launched in 2022, the Global Business Services (GBS) Masterplan is a detailed blueprint and country strategy to create 500,000 cumulative international-servicing jobs in the sector by 2030. The masterplan was commissioned by South Africa’s Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) and its national investment promotion agency, InvestSA, with BPESA (Business Process Enabling South Africa), Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator and other stakeholders as signatories.

Issued by Aprio on behalf of BPESA

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