The 2010 FIFA World Cup has been a catalyst for the information and communication technology (ICT) industry in South Africa; however, customer service delivery is critical for the event’s success, says call centre technology company Inter-Active Technologies.

Inter-Active Technologies CEO Brendan van Staaden says companies need to manage an expected increase in volumes in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as an increase in demand across the board of the ICT sector is also expected to occur. He adds that the ability to consistently and reliably meet customer 
service demands during this phase will underpin an organisation’s level of success.

“International visitors are going to arrive in the country with certain expectations regarding service levels. 
“While there should be an [adequate] standard for infrastructure, bandwidth and technology in place, a less-than- appropriate service through the Internet portal or customer 
service delivery channel will 
reflect poorly. 
“South Africa must raise its ICT and call centre levels of ser-
vice to world-class standards,” he says.

Inter-Active Technologies is already experiencing the benefits of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It has expanded its business to accommodate projected excess call capacity from existing call centres when unusually 
high call volumes occur. 
Van Staaden explains that a number of companies have been rolling out projects in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup since 2006 and that work will continue.

The initiatives around the broader ICT arena include broadband, bandwidths and connectivity initiatives that will allow broadcasting, mobile phone 
access and Internet access to operate more smoothly during the event.

One of the biggest challenges remaining, he says, is getting the connectivity to areas where there will be a concentration of media, sportspeople, fans and visitors. 
The challenge lies in ensuring that the infrastructure available reaches these so called hot spots.

While the 2010 FIFA World Cup has been a contributing factor in the growth of the ICT sector, Van Staaden believes 
government should take over as the primary driver of ICT spend, following the sporting event. 
He reports that the telecommunications/ICT industry contributes about 7% to South Africa’s gross domestic product and, as such, its importance cannot be ignored. 
He adds that the projected growth rate for the telecommunications industry is between 13% and 15% a year and that post-2010 is the perfect platform for that rate of growth to occur.

“Government should become actively involved, as the infrastructure that will be available after the event can be used for government initiatives to assist local municipalities to improve service delivery,” he says.

Van Staaden believes South Africa will enjoy the postevent benefits that other countries have enjoyed from past FIFA World Cups, including increased tourism.

“South Africa will enjoy the spin-off and will be able to offer more with the added infrastructure, which can serve our tourism industry, among others, well,” he says.

He believes that the infrastructure and excess capacity that will be available after the event will also increase South Africa’s ability to position itself competitively on the business process outsourcing (BPO) front. 
While the country has experienced some BPO activity, he adds, it has not experienced the growth that was anticipated for a number of reasons, including the struggle to provide cost-
effective bandwidth to offshore companies.

He firmly believes that 
increased capacity will contribute towards the BPO industry being able to provide cost-effective bandwidth, which will 
improve the industry’s ability to receive and make calls for international companies.

“Next year is going to be South Africa’s showcase in terms of the ICT sector, proving to the world that we can deliver, which is going to be a great achievement for Africa. 
“It is clear that the investment made by the World Cup partners and government will leave an ICT legacy that will benefit South Africa and Africa beyond 2010,” Van Staaden concludes.