Multinational contact centre company Dialogue Group plans to create more jobs in SA, as a result of the recent announcement by communication minister, Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, to liberalise the South African telecoms sector.
"As a direct consequence of these changes, we are cancelling a venture abroad, which would have created an additional 400 jobs in what would have been a more price-competitive environment," says Jason Drew, Dialogue Group chairman. "These jobs will now come to SA once the amendment becomes effective in February next year.
"This is the much-needed catalyst to take the country`s burgeoning contact centre industry to the next stage of its development," says Drew.
"The country`s highly sophisticated technology and financial infrastructure, its compatible time zone with Europe and its ready availability of quality staff already provide a competitive-edge."
According to the Gauteng Economic Development Agency, the South African market employs 80 000 people across 410 contact centre businesses.
"The minister`s announcement ends the monopoly of Telkom and widens the field to include not only a second national operator but other entities. The deregulation will not only spell greater information access for all South Africans, but as far as the contact centre industry is concerned, we can expect operating costs to become more competitive. The quality standards of delivery and the infrastructure will be enhanced," says Drew.
As from 1 February 2005, any value-adding network service provider will be able to provide voice transmission over any medium including the Internet. Providers will also be permitted to sell on excess capacity to promote optimal use of the existing communications infrastructure.
"We expect more jobs to follow as a result of a generally improved operating environment," adds Drew.
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