South Africa continues to demonstrate its worth as a leading destination for global business services (GBS), and the Eastern Cape is emerging as an important province in the sector’s growth story. 

“The Eastern Cape is well positioned as a strategic and scalable hub, enabled by Special Economic Zones (SEZ) infrastructure, growing skills pipelines and investor-ready conditions to support global delivery, job creation and long-term economic impact,” said Reshni Singh, CEO  of  Business Process Enabling South Africa (BPESA), the national industry body and trade association for the GBS/BPO sector.

“We are already seeing encouraging momentum. Global industry leaders such as TP, the largest global BPO provider, have made significant investments in the region, demonstrating confidence in the Eastern Cape’s potential. Alongside them, strong local players like Outworx and Interact continue to expand their footprint, creating jobs and building capability within the province. These investments are not incidental - they are the result of deliberate collaboration, enabling policy environments, and a shared vision between industry and government.

“In 2025 alone, the sector created 1612 jobs in the Eastern Cape. We are confident in the province’s readiness to attract even greater investment in the years ahead,” she added. 

BPESA is taking the message about the Eastern Cape’s potential as a BPO destination on a provincial roadshow, highlighting significant opportunities for businesses within the GBS and BPO sectors to establish, grow, and scale their operations, with the province primed for investment.  The roadshow kicked off with BPESA participating in an MEC Roundtable and a Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) Business Chamber GBS Task Team investor Engagement on 5 May. BPESA also has a strong presence at the Eastern Cape Digital Economy Summit taking place on 7 and 8 May 2026, as well as their BPO Park 800-seater sod turning ceremony, hosted by the East London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ).The final leg of the roadshow will see BPESA participating in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) Investor Engagement.

Singh also emphasised the organisation's role in advancing South Africa's digital economy and investment landscape. “At BPESA, our value proposition - anchored in world-class talent, cultural affinity, cost competitiveness, and a resilient operating environment - has enabled us to attract some of the world’s most respected brands. Today, the sector employs hundreds of thousands of South Africans and contributes meaningfully to inclusive economic growth, particularly for youth and women,”  she said. 

BPESA's engagement with key stakeholders, including government and industry leaders in the Eastern Cape, underscores the organisation's commitment to positioning South Africa's municipalities and provinces as attractive, investment-ready destinations.  “When investment flows into a province, the benefits extend far beyond individual businesses - entire local economies are strengthened,” said Singh.

BPO sector’s ambitious targets

“As a sector, we have set an ambitious and deliberate growth target: to create 500,000 jobs by 2030. This is not merely an aspiration - it is a coordinated national effort, underpinned by strong public-private partnerships, targeted investment promotion, and a clear focus on regional expansion. We believe that through aligned strategy, responsive policy, and sustained collaboration, the Eastern Cape can play a pivotal role in helping South Africa achieve its 2030 job creation targets, while also transforming lives and communities at scale,” Singh concluded.