OREANDA-NEWS. July 06, 2012. Durban’s ambitions of establishing itself as a hub for the contact centre and business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in South Africa has been given a major boost with the opening of a new operation in the city by the country’s biggest BPO provider, Aegis.

The new operation, which is based in the Riverhorse Valley Business Estate, Durban , has currently created more than 150 new jobs and will grow to more than 300 new jobs in KZN. The centre will ultimately host more than 300 call centre seats as it serves a range of local and international clients, says Aegis country manager Kobus van der Westhuizen.

“Whilst Gauteng, and to a lesser extent the Western Cape, have historically dominated the South African BPO market, regions like KwaZulu-Natal are fast establishing themselves as viable alternative destinations for BPO services,” said Van der Westhuizen.

Van der Westhuizen says outsourcing activity within the local market is increasing. This is partly due to increased awareness of cost savings and improved efficiencies coupled with global best practices associated with outsourcing. The country is also enjoying renewed attractiveness as an offshoring destination through a combination of improved telecoms infrastructure and a government subsidy scheme that makes South Africa up to 50% cheaper than an in-house operation in the UK.

“The South African outsourcing market has matured significantly in the past few years, and we’ve developed critical mass and experience in key industries like retail banking, healthcare and even travel and leisure,” said Van der Westhuizen.

Aegis SA was launched two years ago following the acquisition of South African outsourcing company CCN Group by the Indian-based Aegis Limited. It employs more than 2 000 people in South Africa as part of a global workforce of 60 000.

“Aegis SA is a real foreign investment success story,” said Van der Westhuizen. “And see the future creating 5000 new jobs in the sector.”