In a milestone moment for youth empowerment and job creation, 50 young people from KwaZulu-Natal have graduated from the province’s flagship KZN Job Creation Partnership Initiative with an unprecedented 100% employment placement rate.
Every graduate has already stepped into a permanent role at Amalfi Outsourcing, proving that the right public-private collaboration can turn training into tangible economic opportunity.
Hosted at the Gateway Hotel in Umhlanga, the ceremony featured keynote remarks from MEC Musa Zondi, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA).
“This programme shows what’s possible when government, business and training partners work with a shared vision,” says Zondi. “These 50 graduates represent the future of our province – skilled, employed and empowered – and they’re proof that strategic investment in youth can drive true economic transformation.”
The BPO Skills Development Programme, delivered by BPO Skills Academy (BSA) and funded by KZN EDTEA, equipped participants with technical training in business process outsourcing, data analysis, AI applications, and professional skills like customer service excellence. Learners, drawn from marginalised communities across the province, completed an industry-aligned curriculum designed with direct input from employers to ensure immediate job readiness.
Amalfi Outsourcing highlighted the quality of graduates. “These graduates arrived job-ready, motivated and skilled,” said Campbell Pletts, CEO of Amalfi Outsourcing. “Our partnership with BSA and EDTEA has delivered exceptional talent, and we’re excited to grow this model to meet future workforce needs.”
Chemsley Schubert, CEO of BPO Skills Academy, emphasises the programme’s deeper impact: “This is more than training, it’s transformation. Our learners now have stable incomes, a clear career path and the confidence to contribute meaningfully to the digital economy. Through this initiative, skills have become a catalyst for both personal and community change.”
BPESA (Business Process Enabling South Africa) also recognised the programme’s contribution to the growing Global Business Services sector, which already employs over 280,000 South Africans and continues to expand in KwaZulu-Natal.
The benefits extend well beyond the 50 graduates. With each employed youth supporting families, paying taxes, and spending locally, the programme creates a multiplier effect in marginalised communities. Stakeholders have already committed to scaling the model to train and employ 1,500 unemployed youth across multiple sectors, including retail, over the coming years.
Some programme statistics include:
- 50 unemployed youth trained and placed in jobs
- 100% employment rate achieved
- Industry-designed curriculum covering technical and professional skills
- Partnership between KZN EDTEA, BPO Skills Academy and Amalfi Outsourcing under the KZN Job Creation Partnership Initiative
- Focus on marginalised communities for maximum social impact
The KZN Job Creation Partnership Initiative is a provincial economic development programme designed to tackle unemployment by linking targeted skills development directly to committed employer absorption. By uniting government, private sector, and training providers, it creates sustainable employment pathways while driving inclusive economic growth.