BPESA Membership 2020 2021
- May 4, 2020
Dear BPESA Members and GBS Community
What Happened
BPESA’s membership year starts on the 1st April 2020 and with the sudden announcement by the President of the national disaster our roadshow to the regions, during which we planned to present the 2020/2021 plan of action and the new membership proposition, was cancelled.
Our world changed and our priorities switched immediately from memberships and growth to preparing for the lock down and ensuring that our industry (operators, suppliers, staff) activated work from home and kept staff safe, all the while continuing to deliver essential services to the domestic and international markets – a critical element in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The subsequent six weeks have consumed everyone in dealing with the immense challenges that have come with the unexpected pandemic and the unprecedented, but necessary lock down of movement. During this time, the BPESA team, supported by our partners in the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) and Harambee, worked closely with you to navigate a path through this crisis, leveraging our relationships and platforms with the PPGI and government, in the dtic and the Office of the Presidency, to reach a point of stability in the delivery of essential services. We did not selfishly limit our support to members but extended that to whomever in our Sector was in need, and we continue to do so.
In spite of being able to continue delivering essential services, at a very low level of productive capacity, our sector, and all others, have experienced severe stress at all levels. Many of our members and non-member stakeholders have suffered large financial losses, have had to endure the emotional trauma of retrenching staff, and have experienced their own staff or families being directly impacted by COVID 19. No one has escaped the impact of COVID-19 or the lock down.
Where We Are Now
In preparation for the move to Level 4 of the lock down, part of the risk adjusted approach proposed by government for returning to work, BPESA engaged with its stakeholders to start planning for the recovery of the sector and the gradual emergence into a new-look global economy and a new world of work.
This plan touches on a refreshed value proposition, a new approach to offshore market growth, much higher levels of domestic market engagement to rebuild the local economy, innovative approaches to skills development and wellness, fast tracking the roll out and usage of digital and cloud technologies, inclusive business growth, innovation, youth job creation, and a clear and overarching plan for economic and social transformation. As traumatic as the recent past has been for everyone, particularly for those most vulnerable in our society, the future offers new hope and new opportunities for this sector and our country.
The Global Business Services (GBS) sector has demonstrated through this crisis an amazing willingness and ability to reach across boundaries and collaborate with one another and other sectors that also use contact centres as key channels for the sales and servicing of their products, services and customers. The role of BPESA and the strength of its partnerships have been, and will continue to be, critical in lobbying with stakeholders to have our voices heard and our requirements addressed as we chart our way forward.
What Does This Mean for Membership
The ever advancing BPESA has been built by you, by our partners, and by an amazing team of people. It has established a level of credibility as a trusted partner to Government at all levels, and as a reliable partner to our strategic partners Harambee and the Department of Trade Industry and Competition, who have invested so extensively in BPESA and the sector to become a priority sector in the South African economy and arguably one of the sectors with great potential to generate quality youth jobs quickly, and at scale, at a time when our country desperately needs it.
BPESA, as a Not for Profit organisation, need our members now, more so than ever before, to keep supporting the industry body, to use your membership fee income to complement our partners limited funding income and governments contributions to the development of the sector to enable BPESA to keep playing a key role in the recovery and return to growth of our high potential sector.
I appeal to all our members to renew your membership, if you were a member last year, or to join as members if you are new to BPESA and have experienced the good work that the sector does and the role that BPESA plays; and to play an active role in the recovery of our sector, our economy and our society. I appeal to you to continue to work collaboratively to shape your own future in South Africa by being part of the solution that we all co-create.
It is also noteworthy to recognize the role BPESA is now having to play in respect of safeguarding our sector and keeping it running and in terms of reporting obligations into government in line with the call centre directions.
It is with this context that we need to find creative ways in which to keep the organisation well-resourced and funded.
The Board and EXCO understand that things are very tough financially and so are keen to recognise that and offer a 10% discount in annual fees for those who pay in full before the end of May. They are also happy to waive the 10% admin costs of quarterly payment plans since this will make it easier for many companies to pace their fee payments as they recover and rebuild throughout the year.
In parallel to our membership appeal, we have embarked on an extensive fund-raising drive which will engage a much broader community within business and society to support us with the crucial work we do. We will also call on everyone’s support in this regard.
Let us work together to create our new future because we are #strongertogether!
Please register for the 2020/2021 year online making use of this link
The membership brochure can be downloaded here
Do not hesitate to reach out to me or your regional representative to discuss membership. We are here to serve and to help.
On behalf of the BPESA Team
Andy Searle
BPESA CEO