South Africa’s global business services industry is looking to expand its workforce as companies face growing demand for skilled employees and rapid changes brought by artificial intelligence.

Business Process Enabling South Africa (BPESA) has launched an Impact Sourcing Practical Guide aimed at helping business process outsourcing (BPO) and global business services (GBS) companies improve how they recruit, train and retain workers.

The guide comes as South Africa seeks to strengthen its position as a global services destination while creating more jobs for young people. BPESA said the sector has added about 180,000 jobs over the past decade, with young workers accounting for 90% of new hires.

The industry is targeting between 350,000 and 500,000 jobs by 2030, BPESA CEO Reshni Singh said at the guide’s launch at BPO company Digiforte in Randburg on Aug. 7.

Building a wider talent pool

The guide encourages companies to look beyond traditional recruitment methods and identify candidates who may lack formal work experience but have the skills and attitude needed to succeed.

BPESA Future Skills Executive Ranay Chetty said the industry cannot meet its growth plans by relying only on experienced workers. Companies need to build a broader talent pipeline and give young people the training required for a changing services economy.

BPO Quest Staffing Solutions General Manager Cathy Kalamaras said impact sourcing should be built into a company’s business strategy, from recruitment and induction to training and career development.

She said employers also need to measure results and adjust their recruitment models to ensure that hiring young workers delivers value to the business.

AI changes the skills employers need

The rise of AI is adding another challenge for the sector. Singh said automation is already taking over some routine customer interactions and repetitive tasks that have traditionally provided entry-level jobs.

She said companies should focus on preparing workers for new roles created by technology rather than only worrying about jobs that could disappear. That means combining human skills with digital tools and preparing employees to move into areas such as analytics and problem-solving.

Business Process Enabling South Africa represents the country’s global business services industry and works with companies and other stakeholders to support investment, skills development and job creation in the sector.

Quantanite Senior Human Resources Director Fuziswa Moyo said research involving 111 new hires showed that perseverance, conscientiousness, emotional intelligence and the ability to manage stress could be stronger indicators of performance than cognitive ability alone.

For South Africa’s BPO industry, she said, recruitment must increasingly focus on finding the right person for the right role and giving them the support to succeed.