Afrizan People Intelligence BPO Marks 1,100 Jobs and High Customer Satisfaction in Contact Centre Operations

The launch was attended by leading industry figures including Alderman James Vos (Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth), Clayton Williams, CEO of Cape BPO, Nazley Salie of BPESA, and representatives from the City of Cape Town. Elvira Riccardi, Group CEO of Afrizan People Intelligence Group, told the gathering: “Our history is steeped in impact sourcing. We have actively employed and developed youth through our education and development programmes. This BPO solution has allowed us to impact many more young lives, providing valuable opportunities for growth and success.”

Afrizan People Intelligence BPO has created over 1,100 employment opportunities within its contact centre operations since inception in 2023, while the broader Afrizan People Intelligence Group of Companies has directly impacted 34,015 lives through employment opportunities and reached over 6,000 unemployed youth through its education and development programmes.

The operation’s performance benchmarks against the best in the global industry. Afrizan People Intelligence BPO delivers a customer satisfaction score of 94%, against an industry benchmark of 85%. Its abandonment rate of 0.26% sits well below the global standard of 2-5%, and its service level of 99.27% far exceeds the industry norm of 80%.

That commitment is reflected in the company’s internal career progression data. Of agents who have grown within the business, 35% have advanced into team leader roles, 50% into real-time analyst positions, 75% into quality assurance roles, 66% into management, and 50% into broader operational roles. “What sets us apart is our commitment to developing our people,” said Riccardi. “We strive to cultivate an environment where our team members can grow, advance and pursue their aspirations.”

An integrated model: selection, development, employment

These results are driven by a fully integrated group model in which every entity has a defined role. Youth XLS, the group’s youth employment platform, identifies unemployed youth nationally and places them as 'cadets' into structured 12-month experiential work programmes within Afrizan People Intelligence BPO operations or at contracted client sites.

The Afrizan Academy, the group’s in-house accredited training institution, provides SETA- and QCTO-accredited qualifications, client-specific training and continuous learning throughout. Cadets who complete their placements are absorbed directly into full-time BPO roles, while those not immediately placed are transitioned to LVL X Youth – a not-for-profit organisation that connects unabsorbed talent with further opportunities across industries.

Central to the delivery model is the Azadi Agent programme. In South Africa, where freedom has always been hard-won, the word ‘Azadi’ resonates deeply. Azadi Agents are developed to be adaptable, high-performing customer experience professionals – the embodiment of performance, quality, flexibility and innovation – with the freedom to choose their own futures and lead with purpose.

Afrizan People Intelligence BPO is a Level 1 B-BBEE contributor and 98% women-owned, with a contact centre workforce that is predominantly female and includes 10% of PWDs (Persons With Disabilities). “If you teach someone to fish, you feed them for a lifetime,” said Riccardi. “Our goal is to continue to address unemployment in South Africa by creating meaningful, sustainable job opportunities.”

For more information, visit www.afrizanbpo.com.