South African Talent, Global BPO Confidence

Edition 01 – 28 January 2026

If you work in growth, customer operations, or partnerships, you’ve probably noticed something over the last year. Offshoring is no longer being discussed solely as a cost decision but rather as a stability decision.

That shift matters because stability is what most businesses are chasing right now. Customer expectations are high, budgets are continuously being scrutinised and teams are being asked to do more without falling behind. In this kind of environment, the “where” and “how” you deliver starts to matter just as much as the “what”.

In this first edition of The Rewardsco Offshoring Edge, we’re looking into how South Africa’s Global Business Services sector is building real momentum and delivering on all three fronts.

BPESA reported that 20,518 jobs were created in the sector in 2024, contributing $328 million in export revenue. This means global businesses are buying capability here, at scale.

Then in Q2 2025, BPESA recorded 8,180 net new international jobs and R2.3 billion (US$131 million) in export revenue in just that quarter. BPESA also noted that youth accounted for 90% of new hires during this period. The pipeline is getting younger, bigger and more experienced at serving international markets.

But what’s driving this global attention?

English capability, cultural fluency and a service mindset that holds up under pressure are the obvious markers.

But what’s less talked about is what happens when delivery occurs, when volume spikes, when customers are impatient and when performance needs to be consistent.

It’s in these areas that South Africa is increasingly being trusted by International business.

At Rewardsco, we get to see this up close. We’ve learned that consistency doesn’t come from motivation alone, but from structure that supports people properly.

And that starts with training and development that prepares teams for day one and beyond, something we focus on through our approach to unlocking potential at Rewardsco through world-class training and continues with quality standards that are applied fairly and consistently as teams grow ,these standards help build lasting customer relationships.

Technology, of course, has a major role to play too, but only when it’s used to support people rather than overwhelm them. Our recent work in this space, particularly around responsible AI, is reflected by the two awards we claimed for redefining AI in the GBS sector.

2026 is going to reward the businesses that take the time to get the foundations right. Not just who they work with, but how delivery is set up, supported and sustained over years of partnership. The questions around scale, stability and consistency aren’t going away. If anything, they are rightfully going to get harder.

This newsletter exists to take on those harder questions that will arise in the BPO and GBS space.

To look at them properly, and share what actually helps when expectations are real and pressure is on. If you’re responsible for making those calls, this is where we’ll keep working through them.

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“The Offshoring Edge” is a professional newsletter sharing BPO insights from one of South Africa’s leading outsourcing specialists, Rewardsco. For 30 years, Rewardsco has helped leading companies from various industries scale across sales, servicing and customer experience, enabling them to build higher-performing operations. 

Connect with our Business Development team at newbusiness@rewardsco.co.za and let’s discuss how we can help your business go ‘beyond transactions’.