A recent visit to the headquarters of global business process outsourcing company CCI South Africa in Kwa-Zulu Natal was rich with insights into addressing one of the most pressing challenges facing South Africa, and why one industry in particular is booming while others in South Africa are grappling with the need to grow.

More importantly, it was rich with a too rare quality in the country: genuine cause for hope.

It is easy to be dismayed when looking at the statistics of unemployment in SA, and perhaps too easy to numb out to the challenges that it brings, societally, economically and personally.

But look a bit deeper and you can find cause to celebrate as there is also significant progress being made to address this pressing challenge. A significant amount of that progress is coming from CCI South Africa and CareerBox, which is headquartered in KZN with branches in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and also spread across Africa, into Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda and Ethiopia.

First chances

The MD of the CareerBox, Lizelle Strydom, who has an inspiring story of succeeding against the odds, explained that the non-profit company is dedicated to the economic empowerment of previously disadvantaged youth and women across Africa through impact sourcing. It achieves this by empowering young Africans, enabling them to find a job, but more than that, develop a sustainable and rewarding career.

When you consider that the African continent has the youngest populations in the world, and the vast numbers of 20+ years olds coming out of matric or university need viable employment to be able to enter the job market and build a career, and you quickly get a sense of the bigger picture of the endeavor.

Strydom explains that CareerBox identifies and recruits talented, underprivileged youth and women, equips them with high demand skills before placing them with its corporate partners.

Genuine opportunity

However, as the cliché goes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. The most impactful part of the tour of the company's headquarters came from seeing applicants who enter the venue with their CVs about to register, many of whom had been trying to find a job elsewhere with no success (one applicant who subsequently came to CareerBox had been trying for three years to find employment).

Subsequently comparing that with applicants at the conclusion of their orientation and training, the sense of hope and confidence in the eyes and voices of the latter is as different as night is to day.

That confidence comes from being taught useful skills that have genuine benefits in the workplace. This training that they receive from CareerBox,  Strydom explained, encompasses how to write a CV, successfully interview for a job and how to work in a business environment. Additionally, because CareerBox works internationally, trainees are taught how to relate to different customers globally and deal with cultural differences, so that they can provide world class service.

 The result is not only enabling previously unemployed and hopeless youth with the means to earn an income and provide for themselves and their families. It also builds a local talent pool that are distinguishing themselves on a highly competitive global stage.

The need for growth

Inasmuch as job seekers are yearning to improve their lives through gainful employment, so too are businesses striving to remain competitive, viable and profitable. Being able to deliver high degrees of customer satisfaction is simply critical to their survival. For many businesses, Business Process Outsourcing is an essential key to that end.

Peter Andrew, the CEO of CCI South Africa, explained that as part of its Business Process Outsourcing business, the company tailor makes solutions across 72 different lines of business and a myriad of industries.  These include telecoms, leisure, airlines, banking and finance, technology, insurance, energy, and retail, amongst others.

''We enable each business to focus on their core business strength while handling their background processes. Because we operate across so many different lines of business, this becomes really complex,'' he explained.

Andrew added that the BPO industry has grown significantly. At present, the size of the global BPO market is 262 billion rand. ''To date we saw South Africa glean 1% of that, and it is slated to grow to 4% with a compound growth rate of 9.5% by 2030. This has made the growth of the BPO sector a shining light in a struggling economy,'' he enthused.

Show me the jobs

In practical terms, a growing BPO industry translates into increased need to service companies - the company caters to organisations in the US, UK and Australia as well as in Africa - which translates into the need for more personnel and thus a growth in job opportunities.

''This year alone we have been able to create 2458 new jobs to date and we are on track to doubling that. Being able to create 5000 jobs from one year to the next from one company alone is a significant number,'' he enthused. To date, the company has placed 50 000 disadvantaged youth into sustainable jobs.

While BPO and the need for well versed contact centre staff is on the rise, South Africa does have its competition, namely from the Phillipines, which has a far older and more established BPO industry with two decades of experience.

However, South African contact centre agents are distinguishing themselves.

''South Africa has caught up really quickly, due to the quality and the strength of South Africans. Our high levels of empathy and our resilience and problem solving ability has proven itself to be to be significant advantage within the industry,'' he continued.

In short, South Africa and the need for greater employment has found an unlikely hero, and, like all true heroes, it is bringing cause for genuine hope.