GBS WORLD NEWS | WEEK 2 | DECEMBER 2022

Rwanda has over 484 000 available youth (of which an estimated 62 000 speak English at a B2 proficient level). These young people are qualified – with work readiness training – to deliver Global Business Services/Business Process Outsourcing (GBS/BPO), according to the Rwanda GBS Case Study & Special Country Report, prepared by Genesis GBS and released by Harambee Rwanda. The East African nation has emerged as a flourishing GBS/BPO destination, attracting global operators, such as Tek Experts, CCI Global and iSON Xperiences. Ranking 10^th for the technical help desk support category in the 2022 GBS World Competitiveness Index – Digital and ITO serves as a testament to Rwanda’s quality of GBS/BPO delivery.

Following last week’s report on poor customer experience (CX) among Australian retailers, it seems that retail firms in North America are also grappling with keeping their customers happy. A Steritech report found that the region loses US$200 billion annually to negative experiences.  Around 25% of customers reported that they will purchase from a brand less frequently after one bad experience, while 39% stated they would never return.

In Egypt, 29 global firms have pledged to boost their investments into the country’s GBS/BPO sector under confirmed agreements with the CIT Ministry’s Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA). Some of these organizations include IBM, Amazon, Microsoft, Majid Al Futtaim, Concentrix, Dell, PepsiCo, PWC, Vodafone, Atos and Honeywell. The new investments are projected to generate an additional US$1 billion for Egypt’s GBS/BPO market.

At the other end of the continent, South Africa received continued investment from iContact BPO with the firm launching its new delivery site in Johannesburg. Specializing in inbound and outbound customer service and sales, financial services support, customer retention and loyalty management, lead generation and back office fulfilment, iContact BPO is leveraging South Africa’s burgeoning GBS/BPO sector to grow and effectively service international businesses in the US, UK, Europe and Australia. iContact BPO also has a delivery site in Cape Town.

Meanwhile, in Mexico, a local conglomerate, Grupo Mexico, is in talks to acquire Citigroup’s retail banking business. Although discussions are in the advanced phases, an agreement between the two entities is yet to be reached. Citigroup is also mulling the option of launching an initial public offering (IPO) of Banamex.

Amidst the tensions in Eastern Europe stemming from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Clark Staff, an American-owned and operated full-service BPO company, has opened new offices in Tbilisi, Georgia. A country safe from war and unfair business practices, Clark Staff will use Georgia as a strategic link between customers in the Asian and European markets. The new location will also add a layer of business continuity for Clark Staff’s global delivery of BPO services.

The global fast-moving consumer-goods (FMCG) B2B e-commerce market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9% between 2022 and 2031, according to a recently published Allied Market Research report. The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT) in B2B e-commerce trading is one of several drivers of the report’s forecasted growth. Currently, the FMCG B2B e-commerce market is valued at US$520,8 billion and is projected to reach US$1,2 trillion by 2031.