Business process outsourcing is identified as a priority sector for job creation in South Africa.
TransUnion’s South Africa Global Capability Centre (GCC) has started providing support to the company’s US operations and customers, five months after starting operations.
The centre opened its virtual doors in March to support TransUnion’s global operations. It is investing heavily in local talent as it builds out a range of competencies across contact centres, business process management, technology support and data analytics roles.
South Africa GCC head Avesh Singh said the centre was looking to expand rapidly, both in terms of numbers and technology usage, as demand for innovative, skilled work continued to increase in TransUnion markets around the world.
“What’s important to note is that we’re not just a traditional contact centre. We’re doing a range of non-voice and back-office work, including project management, quality assurance and data analytics. We’ve also integrated a range of new technology innovations, including the ability to provide asynchronous chat into the voice environment,” he said.
Avesh added, “Our virtual model means we’ve been able to scale at speed to accommodate the increased demands of the global markets we operate in.”
The centre has started servicing the company’s Canadian business and customers, providing a range of support services in both French and English.
Eric Hess, executive vice president of Global Operations, said, “TransUnion has invested in the South African market for many years, and we’re excited to build on our commitment to the region and offer opportunities to South Africa’s best and brightest in our GCC. It plays a critical role in TransUnion’s global growth strategy, and it’s already bringing more solutions to more countries and is helping businesses, consumers and economies across the continent and the world.”
Sadick Jaffer, chief director of Investment Promotion and Facilitation at the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic), added that government had recognised business process outsourcing (BPO) as a priority sector in South Africa and was in the process of rolling out a master plan, which would assist the sector in achieving its target of 100,000 additional jobs by 2023 and 500,000 by 2030.
“TransUnion’s GCC is providing important opportunities to South African youth, and increasing the pool of highly skilled young people in the country. The company’s operating model is highlighting what the country’s youth can do when they’re given a chance to shine on a global stage,” he said.
