The business process outsourcing (BPO) sector − South Africa’s employment green shoot − has scored more investment for further job creation in the country.
At the 2026 South Africa Investment Conference, in Sandton, French BPO firm TP Group (formerly Teleperformance) made an investment commitment of R145 million.
The investment, according to a statement, is set to generate 2 600 employment opportunities locally, further solidifying SA’s position as Africa's top fintech and BPO hub.
The BPO sector, also known as global business services, was identified several years ago as a key growth driver to create jobs, with a particular focus on youth and women. It has grown in leaps and bounds, making South Africa a favoured destination to set up or expand operations into.
National industry body Business Process Enabling South Africa (BPESA) and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition have set out a masterplan that aims to attract increased foreign direct investment and create 500 000 cumulative jobs by 2030.
South Africa ranks as the world’s third most attractive offshoring destination in the BPO space. The country’s strength is in the English language, with a predominant focus on markets such as the UK, US, Australia and several other English-speaking outsource markets.
According to BPESA, business process outsourcing grew from 65 000 jobs in 2019, to an estimated 150 000 in 2024, in SA. Most of the workforce is in Cape Town, with nearly 100 000 people working in call centres, serving domestic and international clients.
The latest BPO sector investment commitment by the global TP Group call centre company is anticipated to further fuel employment in the sector.
With operations in the Eastern and Western Cape, TP opened a new call centre in Cape Town last April. TP already employs 6 000 people in SA, with 5 500 based in the Mother City, said city officials at the time.
This year’s sixth South Africa Investment Conference was convened under the decarbonisation, digitisation and diversification framework, with the ease of doing business as a central theme.
The conference has confirmed 81 private sector investments, which total R415 billion. Investments span all nine provinces and 22 source markets across five continents. Three-quarters of committed capital – R314.2 billion – originates from South African investors.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said the scale of pledges, both in value and number of projects, marked a significant milestone since the launch of the investment drive in 2018.
He noted that the large share of the commitments from domestic investors was complemented by a sharp rise in foreign direct investment and participation from development finance institutions.
“The cumulative value of the pledges made at this conference are the highest we have achieved since the first South Africa Investment Conference. It is also the highest number of projects.
“Much of this is domestic capital, demonstrating the strong and growing confidence of South African investors in our own economy,” the president said.
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