MEDIA STATEMENT

· 180 000 sector jobs created over 10 years: 90% new hires are youth

· Growth supported by impact sourcing strategies and government incentives

· Impact sourcing key to creating 350,000 to 500,000 cumulative new jobs by 2030.

South Africa’s Global Business Services (GBS) sector is internationally recognised for its leadership in impact sourcing, a socially responsible hiring methodology that builds the intentional recruitment and upskilling of socio-economically disadvantaged individuals into standard operating procedures. It is one of the reasons why an average of 90% of sector hires are youth, with approximately 30% coming from households where no one was previously employed, or where families are entirely dependent on social grants.

Reshni Singh, CEO of BPESA, the national trade and industry association for South Africa's (GBS) sector, said: "Impact sourcing is the future of South Africa's Global Business Services sector. It's about futureproofing not just our sector, but our young talent, who ultimately define our global positioning.

“The success of South Africa’s GBS sector is measured by who benefits from that growth. As an industry, we have set ourselves an ambitious goal of creating between 350,000 and 500,000 cumulative jobs by 2030. This will require us to continually expand, strengthen, and diversify our talent pipeline,” she added.

There are several non-profit organisations (NPOs), such as Harambee, CareerBox and Shadow Global, helping fulfil that ambition. “The GBS sector is growing and hiring at entry level, but existing programmes are not producing enough beneficiaries able to take up the roles employers offer. Impact sourcing is the bridge, and models that are demand-led and proven at scale are how you build that pipeline,” said Adjoa Ayivor, CEO and co-founder of Shadow Global, a South African pioneering impact sourcing initiative that provides excluded youth with practical skills training, mentorship, and permanent job placements, primarily in the BPO and (GBS) sectors.

Impact sourcing and AI

As AI, digital transformation and automation reshape GBS roles, the sector continues to explore how talent sourcing, assessment and development need to evolve, and which human, digital and future-of-work capabilities will become increasingly important.

“In South Africa’s GBS sector, impact sourcing and artificial intelligence are two aspects of a single agenda. One ensures that more South Africans have access to meaningful careers, while the other ensures those careers remain relevant, competitive and future-ready. Together, they strengthen our industry's ability to deliver exceptional value to clients while creating sustainable opportunities for our country,” concluded Singh.

BPESA launched its Impact Sourcing Practical Guide in uMhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal on 15 July 2026. The guide is aimed at sector operators who are still developing or refining their impact sourcing and inclusive hiring models. It was developed with contributions from BPESA’s partner, Harambee, and a wide range of employers, training providers, and delivery partners. The launch brought together BPESA members, partners, industry leaders, HR and learning teams, government, academia, training providers and young professionals for panel insights, youth presentations and an AI workshop, with support from the dtic, Harambee and InvestSA. Further roll-out is planned for Johannesburg and Cape Town.

South Africa’s global business services (GBS) sector created 26 346 new jobs servicing international markets in 2025 – its highest annual total since 2018.

In addition, just under 23 800 of those roles, or about 90%, were filled by young people, based on Business Process Enabling South Africa’s(BPESA’s) GBS sector report.

The GBS sector, sometimes referred to as business process outsourcing, has been identified as the green shoot that can help overcome the country’s unemployment, with the sector targeting 500 000 new jobs by 2030.

The sector has witnessed significant investment from international players in recent years, bringing offshore opportunities to South Africa, providing youth employment opportunities.

It is now recognised as a preferred offshore delivery location for markets like the UK and US.

National industry body BPESA’s report highlights that all four active GBS provinces contributed to the total number of new jobs servicing international markets.

The Western Cape, which is considered an industry pioneer, witnessed significant job growth for the year, with 13 056 jobs posted in 2025. This is an increase compared to 9 549 positions logged in 2024.

The Western Cape is followed by KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), which recorded 7 709 new jobs. By comparison, the KZN province recorded 6 908 in 2024.

In Gauteng, the province recorded 3 969 new jobs for the year, compared to 3 810 in 2024. Meanwhile, the Eastern Cape recorded 1 612 new jobs for the year, which was up from 251 jobs in 2024.

According to BPESA, South Africa’s GBS sector has become internationally recognised for its leadership in impact sourcing.

This is one of the reasons why an average of 90% of sector hires are youth, with approximately 30% coming from households where no one was previously employed, or where families are entirely dependent on social grants.

Impact sourcing is a business practice in which companies intentionally hire people from disadvantaged or underrepresented communities to deliver outsourced business services, while creating measurable social and economic benefits.

Reshni Singh, CEO of BPESA, comments: “Impact sourcing is the future of South Africa’s global business services sector. It’s about future-proofing not just our sector, but our young talent, who ultimately define our global positioning.”

Yesterday, BPESA unveiled its guide for talent sourcing in the sector in uMhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal, with further rollout planned for Johannesburg and Cape Town.

The Impact Sourcing Practical Guide is aimed at sector operators that are still developing or refining their impact sourcing and inclusive hiring models. It was developed with contributions from BPESA’s partner, Harambee, and a range of employers, training providers and delivery partners.

“The success of South Africa’s GBS sector is measured by who benefits from that growth. As an industry, we have set ourselves an ambitious goal of creating between 350 000 and 500 000 cumulative jobs by 2030. This will require us to continually expand, strengthen and diversify our talent pipeline,” notes Singh.

“The GBS sector is growing and hiring at entry-level, but existing programmes are not producing enough beneficiaries able to take up the roles employers offer. Impact sourcing is the bridge, and models that are demand-led and proven at scale are how you build that pipeline,” adds Adjoa Ayivor, CEO and co-founder of Shadow Global.

Source: ITWEB

• Global BPO providers demonstrate confidence in province’s potential

South Africa continues to demonstrate its worth as a leading destination for global business services (GBS), and the Eastern Cape is emerging as an important province in the sector’s growth story.

“The Eastern Cape is well positioned as a strategic and scalable hub, enabled by Special Economic Zones (SEZ) infrastructure, growing skills pipelines and investor-ready conditions to support global delivery, job creation and long-term economic impact,” said Reshni Singh, CEO  of  Business Process Enabling South Africa (BPESA), the national industry body and trade association for the GBS/BPO sector.

“We are already seeing encouraging momentum. Global industry leaders such as TP, the largest global BPO provider, have made significant investments in the region, demonstrating confidence in the Eastern Cape’s potential. Alongside them, strong local players like Outworx and Interact continue to expand their footprint, creating jobs and building capability within the province. These investments are not incidental - they are the result of deliberate collaboration, enabling policy environments, and a shared vision between industry and government.

“In 2025 alone, the sector created 1612 jobs in the Eastern Cape. We are confident in the province’s readiness to attract even greater investment in the years ahead,” she added.

BPESA is taking the message about the Eastern Cape’s potential as a BPO destination on a provincial roadshow, highlighting significant opportunities for businesses within the GBS and BPO sectors to establish, grow, and scale their operations, with the province primed for investment.  The roadshow kicked off with BPESA participating in an MEC Roundtable and a Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) Business Chamber GBS Task Team investor Engagement on 5 May. BPESA also has a strong presence at the Eastern Cape Digital Economy Summit taking place on 7 and 8 May 2026, as well as their BPO Park 800-seater sod turning ceremony, hosted by the East London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ).The final leg of the roadshow will see BPESA participating in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) Investor Engagement.

Singh also emphasised the organisation's role in advancing South Africa's digital economy and investment landscape. “At BPESA, our value proposition - anchored in world-class talent, cultural affinity, cost competitiveness, and a resilient operating environment - has enabled us to attract some of the world’s most respected brands. Today, the sector employs hundreds of thousands of South Africans and contributes meaningfully to inclusive economic growth, particularly for youth and women,”  she said.

BPESA's engagement with key stakeholders, including government and industry leaders in the Eastern Cape, underscores the organisation's commitment to positioning South Africa's municipalities and provinces as attractive, investment-ready destinations.  “When investment flows into a province, the benefits extend far beyond individual businesses - entire local economies are strengthened,” said Singh.

BPO sector’s ambitious targets

“As a sector, we have set an ambitious and deliberate growth target: to create 500,000 jobs by 2030. This is not merely an aspiration - it is a coordinated national effort, underpinned by strong public-private partnerships, targeted investment promotion, and a clear focus on regional expansion. We believe that through aligned strategy, responsive policy, and sustained collaboration, the Eastern Cape can play a pivotal role in helping South Africa achieve its 2030 job creation targets, while also transforming lives and communities at scale,” Singh concluded.