Fitch Ratings, one of the world’s largest credit ratings agencies, kept South Africa’s rating steady this week despite ongoing concern about the economy’s failure to grow – and, in particular, to grow in a way that creates jobs

South Africa, beset by massive long-term unemployment, has added a mere 1,000 non-farm private-sector jobs in the last quarter

Business process outsourcing has been embraced by successive provincial and national governments in South Africa as a potent weapon against unemployment, particularly among the youth. BPO jobs tend to have low barriers to entry, with most requiring only a matric certificate. However, as the contact centre industry continues to mature and intensify, positions at these centres increasingly demand higher-level skills and experience.