GBS Country Highlights

Location Highlights

Bulgaria

85 000+ Domestic and International Outsourcing & Offshoring GBS/BPO Workers
Educated, English-speaking labor pool of which 80% have a secondary school or tertiary qualification
A stable economy with a business-friendly tax system (flat corporate tax rate of 10%)
Affordable, yet modern office spaces connected to cheap high-speed fibre internet connections
Maturing outbound and inbound customer care and sales services in key vertical industries, including BFSI, telecoms and healthcare
Excellent standards of living at low costs
A growing ICT industry employing over 101 000 specialists
Ranked 21st in the English Proficiency Index (2022 Education First)
2019 Global Competitiveness Ranking 49 (World Economic Forum)
2021 Innovation Ranking 35 (Global Economy)

Colombia

230 000+ Domestic and International Outsourcing & Offshoring GBS/BPO Workers
Excellent internet connection facilitated by 11 submarine cables, enabling high-speed internet and data transmission
One of the largest workforces in the CALA region that is comprised of educated, English-speaking workers
Established GBS/BPO operations in 6 cities with over 1 million residents, including Bogota, Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, and Cartagena
Hybrid/work-from-home (WFH) working models deployed across most GBS/BPO operators
Average salary cost savings between 40%-50% compared to those in the US
Geographic proximity to North America, positioning the country as an ideal nearshore location
2019 Global Competitiveness Ranking 57 (World Economic Forum)
2021 Innovation Ranking 67 (Global Economy)

Czechia

128 000+ Domestic and International Outsourcing & Offshoring GBS/BPO Workers
A regional research and innovation hub, ranking 20th globally for percentage of its GDP invested in research and development
A young workforce that are native speakers in multiple languages, including German, Slovak, Czech, Italian, French, Polish and English
Offers a broad range of inbound and outbound telemarketing and electronic communication in the e-commerce, healthcare and BFSI vertical industries
Cultural affinity to European and North American markets
Excellent infrastructure consisting of high-speed railways and three international airports
20% lower contact center salaries compared to those in key source markets
Ranked 23rd in the English Proficiency Index (2022 Education First)
Ranked 3rd for Robotics & Automation in the GBS World Competitiveness Index – Digital and ITO
2019 Global Competitiveness Ranking 24 (World Economic Forum)
2021 Innovation Ranking 30 (Global Economy)

Dominican Republic

36 000+ Domestic and International Outsourcing & Offshoring GBS/BPO Workers
A large, youthful workforce with English-speaking capabilities
Low cost and high standard of living
Within the same time zone as the US Eastern Seaboard
Expertise in inbound and outbound sales and customer service, especially in the BFSI and healthcare vertical industries
Developed ICT infrastructure facilitating high-speed internet
Ranked 54th in the English Proficiency Index (2022 Education First)
2019 Global Competitiveness Ranking 78 (World Economic Forum)
2021 Innovation Ranking 93 (Global Economy)

Egypt

240 000+ Domestic and International Outsourcing & Offshoring GBS/BPO Workers
A large, young, tech-savvy talent pipeline strengthened by over 600 000 annual graduates of which 90 000 complete English-language qualifications
ITO salary costs are 87% lower, on average, compared to those in key source markets
A vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem driven by a conducive business environment and regulatory framework
Developed infrastructure (telecom, transport, power, water)
Multilingual hub supporting 20+ languages
Uniquely positioned to serve as a nearshore location for the EMEA region, as well as an offshore location for global markets
4th Most Favourable Global BPO Location (2022, Ryan Strategic Advisory)
Ranked 4th in the GBS World Competitiveness Index – Digital and ITO
2019 Global Competitiveness Ranking 93 (World Economic Forum)
2021 Innovation Ranking 94 (Global Economy)

Ghana

7 381+ Domestic and International Outsourcing & Offshoring GBS/BPO Workers
Scalable pool of English-speaking talent that are high-energy and computer literate
A stable business and political environment
Several global operators have established a presence in the country, such as iSON Xperiences, Tech Mahindra and Webhelp
Highly-competitive labor costs of up to 84%
2019 Global Competitiveness Ranking 111 (World Economic Forum)
2021 Innovation Ranking 112 (Global Economy)

Honduras

9 800+ Domestic and International Outsourcing & Offshoring GBS/BPO Workers
One of the largest youth populations amongst CALA countries that are trainable for technical support, customer care, telemarketing and data entry roles
Direct, short (3.5 hour) flights to major US cities
A time zone enabling an ideal nearshore location for the US, Canada, Mexico and the Central and Southern Americas
Large student population with bilingual capabilities in Spanish and English, enabling bilingual customer service agents for US consumers
Ranked 48th in the English Proficiency Index (2022 Education First)
2019 Global Competitiveness Ranking 101 (World Economic Forum)
2021 Innovation Ranking 108 (Global Economy)

Jamaica

43 354+ Domestic and International Outsourcing & Offshoring GBS/BPO Workers
Government support through grants and legislation specific to the BPO sector
Labor costs are around 75% lower than those in key source markets
Support from industry body, the Global Services Association of Jamaica (GSAJ) and JAMPRO
A large, scalable pool of educated talent who have customer service experience, especially in the tourism and hospitality industry
Close proximity to major US cities (3 to 6 hour direct flights) and located within similar GMT zones
Over 90% of the population is fluent in English and is the third largest English-speaking country in the Western hemisphere
Several large GBS/BPO operators have successfully established in Jamaica
2019 Global Competitiveness Ranking 80 (World Economic Forum)
2021 Innovation Ranking 74 (Global Economy)

Kenya

27 840+ Domestic and International Outsourcing & Offshoring GBS/BPO Workers
Export-orientated business environment supported by Special Economic Zones (SEZs)
Large pool of English-speaking youth talent that have neutral accents
A strong education system strengthened by subsidized grants and loans
Strategic location as a regional hub for communication and finance
High-energy, friendly and computer-literate talent
Located within the GMT zone, making it conducive to service the Uk and European markets
Ranked 20th in the English Proficiency Index (2022 Education First)
2019 Global Competitiveness Ranking 95 (World Economic Forum)
2021 Innovation Ranking 85 (Global Economy)

Mexico

200 000+ Domestic and International Outsourcing & Offshoring GBS/BPO Workers
Proximity to the US and ease of travel via air and road position Mexico as an attractive nearshore GBS/BPO location
At least 50% savings on salary costs and when combined with low costs of living buyers and operators can achieve significant profit margins
Valued at US$2,4 billion, Mexico’s GBS/BPO market is one of the most mature in the CALA region
Bilingualism in English and Spanish, enabling seamless service delivery to over 334 million English speakers and 62,5 million Spanish speakers across North America
GBS/BPO operators are strategically located in central business districts that are equipped with robust and sophisticated physical and ICT infrastructure
Cultural affinity to the US where English is the default business language
5th Most Favourable Global BPO Location (2022, Ryan Strategic Advisory)
Ranked 9th for General ITO and 5th for Software Development services in the GBS World Competitiveness Index – Digital and ITO
2019 Global Competitiveness Ranking 48 (World Economic Forum)
2021 Innovation Ranking 55 (Global Economy)

Nigeria

18 780+ Domestic and International Outsourcing & Offshoring GBS/BPO Workers
Home to Africa’s largest ICT sector and economy
A significant B2 English (proficient English) addressable talent pool of over 8 million that are youth and qualified
Established service providers delivering specialist business process services to Europe, Japan, the UK and US
Specialised GBS/BPO tertiary institutions that offer specialised GBS/BPO training
Ranked 28th in the English Proficiency Index (2022 Education First)
2019 Global Competitiveness Ranking 116 (World Economic Forum)
2021 Innovation Ranking 118 (Global Economy)

Poland

300 000+ Domestic and International Outsourcing & Offshoring GBS/BPO Workers
A highly educated workforce, where 44% of Polish workers have a tertiary qualification
A regional IT hub, ranking 2nd out of 23 in the 2022 Emerging Europe IT Competitiveness Index
Labor costs are 48%-64% lower than those in key source markets
A conducive business environment, reflected by the Polish city of Łódź was rated as the most business-friendly city in the region in the 2021 Emerging Europe Business-Friendly City Perception Index
A multilingual hub in a variety of European languages, with a specific strength in English-speaking capabilities, ranking 13th in the English Proficiency Index (2022 Education First)
A rising ICT exports location, especially for outsourced gaming development
Robust and modern infrastructure, including an efficient transport system and high-speed fibre internet
Tied 2nd for Most Favourable Global BPO Location (2022, Ryan Strategic Advisory)
Ranked 3rd for General ITO, 2rd for Global Data Management and 4th for Global Digital Contact Center services in the GBS World Competitiveness Index – Digital and ITO
2019 Global Competitiveness Ranking 37 (World Economic Forum)
2021 Innovation Ranking 40 (Global Economy)

Romania

125 000+ Domestic and International Outsourcing & Offshoring GBS/BPO Workers
A booming ICT sector employing over 191 000 specialists, which is sustained by 8 200 annual graduates
Cultural affinity and in geographical proximity to Western European consumers, facilitating stronger CX outcomes
Average contact center and ITO salaries are well-below the Western European average
A favorable business environment with a flat corporate tax rate of 16%
Ranked 17th in the English Proficiency Index (2022 Education First)
Ranked 8th for Software Development in the GBS World Competitiveness Index – Digital and ITO
2019 Global Competitiveness Ranking 51 (World Economic Forum)
2021 Innovation Ranking 48 (Global Economy)

Serbia

7 000+ Domestic and International Outsourcing & Offshoring GBS/BPO Workers
A business-friendly environment, where the government has recognized ICT as a priority sector
Affordable cost of living has kept GBS/BPO salaries low compared to those in key source markets
A tech-savvy workforce that are taught programming and technology at an early stage and carried across all levels of education
A favorable time-zone for European GBS/BPO buyers
Ranked 27th in the English Proficiency Index (2022 Education First)
2019 Global Competitiveness Ranking 72 (World Economic Forum)
2021 Innovation Ranking 54 (Global Economy)

South Africa

205 423+ Domestic Outsourcing GBS/BPO Workers
109 133+ International/Offshoring GBS/BPO Workers
60%-70% lower costs than Australia, the UK and the US
Skilled English language youth workforce with over 761 000 B2 level (proficient) addressable talent pool
Digitally-enabled end-to-end customer lifecycle management
Vertical-specific domain knowledge and specialist services
High-value, niche domain services (F&A, ITO, LSO, Legal Services, KPO)
Scalable and diverse pool of impact sourcing talent
Proven track record of resilience, quality and compliance
Sizeable regional and domestic market player
Sophisticated infrastructure and enabling environment
Tied 1st for Most Favourable Global BPO Location (2022, Ryan Strategic Advisory)
2019 Global Competitiveness Ranking 60 (World Economic Forum)
2021 Innovation Ranking 61 (Global Economy)