TransUnion’s Global Capability Centre Africa (GCC Africa), a 100% virtual remote working centre that supports the global information and insights company’s businesses worldwide, has employed one new person every day since its opening in March 2021, with more than 500 South Africans having joined the business in that time.
GCC Africa expanded TransUnion’s network of GCCs, with other locations already established in India, all allowing the business to take advantage of best-in-class talent around the world to enable innovation, offer global scalability, and deliver value for the organisation, while creating jobs.
Job creation is particularly important in the South African context, where Statistics South Africa confirmed on 23 August 2022 that 33,9% of the country’s labour force is unemployed.
TransUnion GGC Africa’s technology-forward approach to operating in a virtual environment has made it particularly appealing among women job-seekers who are able to work from home, with all the technology they need supplied by the company, so that they can achieve meaningful work-life balance while earning a competitive income. As a result, 70% of the more than 500 people who have joined the GCC Africa in the last 17 months are women whose lives have been transformed by its working model.
Statistics South Africa findings show that 47% of women of working age in South Africa are economically inactive, compared to 35,6% of men in the same position.
GCC Africa offers a wide range of services, including contact centre, business process management, technology support and data analytics roles. Its teams provide support to TransUnion’s operations and customers not just in Africa, but around the globe. As it continues to grow, the GCC Africa is hiring data analysts, financial analysts, IT specialists, network engineers and even content creators and web developers to provide high-value services around the world.
The centre has also embarked on a comprehensive skills development programme for local youth, and has partnered with government to welcome 60 learners every 12 months. These interns gain valuable skills, experience, and international exposure, working with colleagues in TransUnion’s businesses across the globe. At the end of the 12 months, they are absorbed into GCC Africa, using their skills in full-time employment.
“TransUnion GCC Africa allows us to access the best technology and talent for the benefit of our entire global business. Our job creation story is testament to the investment we have made and the flexible, always-on workforce we have across all our markets,” says Avesh Singh, vice-president of operations and the head of the GCC Africa. “Our virtual model has enabled us to access even greater talent and diversity and I am immensely proud of what we have achieved in a little under a year and half – I look forward to witnessing our continued growth.”
The South Africa BPO market is projected to reach $3,6-billion by 2027, growing at 13,2% during this period. The country has also been voted the most attractive BPO location in the world in 2022, together with India, according to the 2022 Ryan Strategic Advisory Front Office CX Omnibus Survey.
“South Africa has a wealth of talent across disciplines, with motivated people who are determined to succeed on the local and global stage,” says Eric Hess, TransUnion’s executive vice-president for Global Operations. “TransUnion GCC Africa is a case study for how, by looking at innovative solutions, you can access new talent pools to build core capabilities with scale and speed that operate virtually.”
GCC Africa puts a special emphasis on upskilling and developing its employees through programmes like Lean Six Sigma, a fact- based, data-driven philosophy of improvement, and other ongoing internal and external training opportunities. It has invested heavily in the infrastructure that allows each employee to work from home, including fibre connections, back-up data packs and mini-inverters to allow for business continuity in case of load shedding.