This is the year when big things start to happen

IF YOU were to stop in 2020 and look back on Kenya’s economic and business development it would likely that 2009 really stood out.  Amidst some of the toughest times to ever face global business, there are factors currently combining to make 2009 a year for change in the country.

This year will be a milestone that, going forward, will further enable Kenyan businesses the license to compete and succeed on a global scale.

Kenya’s first under-sea fibre optic cable and corresponding fibre broadband network in Kenya (fully operational by the end-June) will see the country better suited than ever for the provision of BPO and contact centre services whilst boosting the domestic economy through the increased connectivity of its people and businesses.

The government’s commitment to increasing the weight of the country’s service resources is also moving rapidly and is on track to create 7,500 direct BPO jobs by 2012.

The governments overarching development aims are also boosting education by creating more high-skilled graduates than ever before — the country now produces more than 54,000 each year, many of whom will look to a career in BPO.  Each year there are over 5,000 university graduates suitable for the BPO industry and the government plans an education programme which will increase this number to 15,000 by 2015.

Global companies are also starting to realise the possibilities that Kenya presents — companies such as Microsoft, Cisco, SAP, Intel, IBM and Sun have set up regional HQs here.  Orange has recently arrived and outsourced its customer care to KenCall, following Vodafone.  Vodafone’s Kenyan captive, Safaricom, continues to go from strength to strength and now has over 700 full-time customer service representatives. 

With all these factors in place, 2009 sets the scene for an explosion of BPO from Kenya.

The government has plans to be the third biggest contact centre nation in Africa by 2012 and to really start punching above its weight on the world stage.

But there’s no reason this won’t occur more quickly.

KenCall, the country’s first contact centre and BPO provider, has been providing world class contact centre services to global companies for over five years now and this just using satellite connections.  Fibre connectivity will unleash the BPO beast waiting to get out of Kenya. Those in the market for outsourcing services should expect to see some big things emerging from Kenya over the next few years.

Nicholas Nesbitt, founder and CEO, KenCall EPZ; nnesbitt@kencall.com