Black women gain in Cape call centre industry

Previously disadvantaged people, many of them women, have been the main beneficiaries of the Western Cape`s call centre industry growth, according to the preliminary findings of a survey.

Auditing firm Deloitte & Touche is in the process of finalising the findings of the survey conducted on behalf of CallingtheCape. The full report will be made public on 10 September.

CallingtheCape is a non-profit organisation set up to promote the Western Cape as a venue for international investors looking to use the province as a place to set up call centres.

A total of 14 companies, accounting for about a quarter of the call centre agents in the Western Cape, answered survey questions about their human resources. In these companies, black women account for 43% of all call centre agents and 42% of supervisors. Black men account for 20% of agents and 29% of supervisors. Overall, black South Africans account for 63% of call centre agents and 61% of supervisors.

Within the ranks of management, progress has been slightly slower: black women fill 28% of management positions, as opposed to 33% for white men.

CallingtheCape executive director Luke Mills says the preliminary findings are encouraging.

"We think they`re probably a fair reflection of the state of affairs in the rest of the industry. The large pool of black agents and supervisors is a good sign that management-level transformation will happen fast in the next few years, because most managers start out as agents," he says.

Mills estimates the total number of call centre agents in the Western Cape at just over 10 000 - and growing fast. Six of the operators who responded to the human resources survey experienced employment growth of 50% to 100% during the past year and seven expect to employ at least 100% more people in the coming year.

An entry-level call centre agent can expect to earn between R2 000 per month (in a small business) and R6 000 per month in a multinational, with an average starting salary of R4 300 per month. The average starting salary for a supervisor is R7 200 a month.

CallingtheCape`s Skills Development Committee has a specific mandate to increase black participation in the industry. One approach it is taking is to target students at community colleges and tertiary institutions for a call centre preparation workshop.

"This will give students an introduction to the industry, explain the recruiting requirements and tell them how to prepare themselves to work in the industry," says Mills. "We`ll also offer site visits to major call centres so students can see for themselves what the job entails."

School leavers will also be targeted. CallingtheCape, together with the Department of Education, will provide career-counselling sessions for senior learners at schools in previously disadvantaged areas.