Brainstorm concluded its call centre/business process outsourcing feature last year by saying: It took India a lot of dedicated, co-ordinated effort, and at least six years, before its market took off. South Africa needs to learn the same lessons. Only with a focused and strategic plan that involves all stakeholders, driven by one body, will government have a hope of fulfilling its BPO dreams in the timeframes it has outlined. Needless to say, South Africa still doesn't have a strategic plan, it does not have a unified body driving call centre/BPO growth, and it still has a skills problem. The perception remains that it is an expensive destination telecoms-wise, and the bulk of the market doesn't even know that SA plays in this sector. Something must be done. And it's really up to the industry to drive it.  

Telecom costs