Johannesburg is a modern city in every sense — skyscrapers, a smooth network of freeways, a bustling metropolis of industry and commerce, and a hub to which professionals are drawn. Also called “Joburg”, the city is moving powerfully into the call- and the contact-center industry, which the South African government has targeted as a priority. Joburg’s contact-center industry has grown on an average of eight percent per annum since 2002.
Education
- Joburg has a well-developed higher education system of both private and public universities
- There is a large pool of highly educated employees, with an average literacy rate of 86%
- Literacy rate in South Africa is 30% higher than that in India.
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South Africa:
Quick Take
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| Currency: ZAR (US $1 = 6.76 ZAR) |
| Time zone: GMT +2 |
| Languages: IsiZulu, Afrikaans, English |
| International airport: Johannesburg International Airport |
| GDP (official exchange rate): $201.4 billion (2006 est.) |
Employment
- Joburg is responsible for 13% of employment in South Africa
- It is home to 51% of all value-added financial and business services operating in South Africa
- The city has a low attrition rate
- Contact-center industry is expected to create 150,000 jobs in South Africa by 2008 (2030 planning vision of the city)
- South Africa trains 40,000 call-center agents in a year.
Industry
- The major industries in the city: Financial and business services, retail and wholesale trade, and manufacturing
- South Africa’s 60% of contact-center operations are in Joburg
Economy
- Joburg accounts for 11% of Africa’s and 34% of South Africa’s GDP
- South Africa is 30%–40% cheaper than the U.K. and U.S.
- Gauteng Economic Development Agency (GEDA) and the City of Johannesburg are key institues, which help in driving Joburg’s BPO industry
- South Africa is the world’s 30th largest economy according to the World Bank, ranked above Greece and Thailand.
Source: McKinsey, ContactinGauteng, CIA Fact File
| Service Providers in Johannesburg |
| 321 Technologies |
| Business Systems Group |
| Cornastone |
| Call Center Nucleus |
| Cylon Technology |
| Dialworx |
| Digiata Technology |
| DST International |
| IBM |
| Lathitha |
| Merchants |
| Pimville Technologies |
| SystemicLogic |
