Call for Call Centre Jobs in South Africa

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Despite depressing global economic conditions and the gloomy forecast for the job market in the short term, there are some industries in South Africa which still offer enormous opportunities for school leavers and candidates who may have completed some form of tertiary education.

According to Nritika Singh, Managing Director of Isilumko Staffing, a national recruitment company which offers temporary, flexible and permanent staff, call centres form part of a growing industry both locally and globally.

Impressive growth figures of 39% for 2005, 41% for 2006 and 29% for 2007, have been recorded. These statistics are provided in the fifth Key Indicator Report produced by CallingtheCape and audited and co-produced by Deloitte. CallingtheCape is public-private partnership to develop the contact centre and business process outsourcing and offshoring (BPOO) industry.

From 2003 onwards there has been a sharp growth in the number of call centres offering outsourced customer contact services and telesales, into both the domestic and international markets. Growth has been driven both by the influx of new international operations and increasing demand for customer contact centres within the South African market. The total number of call centre staff have increased from 10,014 in 2004 to 27,819 in 2007/8. This is very much contrary to the current employment trend. Singh from Isilumko Staffing says: “Entry level salaries of between R4000-R5000 per month are extremely favourable for positions which do not require a high skills level. This excludes benefits such as medical aid, pension /provident fund or housing schemes.”

What skills are required to join the call centre industry at entry level? A grade 12 pass with no particular emphasis on choice of subjects. However, communicational skills and a good grasp of language, especially English, which is the preferred medium in call centres, are important attributes. Computer literacy, while not essential, is also a major benefit for candidates wishing to enter the call centre industry.

There are different levels of staffing in call centres, starting with sales agents, to assistant team leader, team leader, supervisor, call centre manager, as well as trainers and quality assessors. Other positions include telemarketers, collections and the help desk.

Working in a call centre environment can be an introduction to better positions. One can step up the ladder quite rapidly if you show promise and display certain skills.

With thanks to Hotfrog.com