Should managed services be engineering-led or helpdesk-led?
As enterprises become increasingly dependent on always-on digital platforms, the role of managed services is undergoing a critical shift. What was once seen as a support function is now a determinant of operational resilience, business continuity, and executive...
How AI is humanising the contact centre
Artifical intelligence (AI) can provide the answer to agent burnout, deliver contextual customer information and help agents to deliver a deeply personalised experience, writes Fikile Sibiya, CIO at e4. The rise of AI has significantly impacted business sectors of all...
Trust is what will make or break AI voice agents
South African businesses are showing real interest in AI voice agents, and for good reason. By Bruce von Maltitz, CEO of 1Stream The technology has come a long way and can now respond quickly, hold more natural conversations and create a better, locally relevant...
Why AI voice agents are being met with open arms
For years, the South African contact centre industry has been building the foundations of digital customer service, writes Bruce von Maltitz, CEO of 1Stream. While the traditional automated systems that aided them have served us well, we have now reached a massive...
Voice is the new VIP channel for business
In a technology landscape increasingly dominated by automated agents and chatbots, the humble telephone call was predicted to become obsolete. However, as we settle into 2026, South African businesses are finding the opposite to be true. According to Nic Laschinger,...
AI in the contact centre: from efficiency to empathy
The future of the contact centre is not about replacing people with technology, but empowering them. According to Sasha Slankamenac of Dariel Software, AI is shifting customer service from efficiency-driven performance to empathy-focused engagement. With AI copilots...
Tech key to ethically boosting call answer rates
Who doesn’t get annoyed by the sound of bin lids slamming and bin trucks revving too early in the morning? Similarly, it’s hard not to get hot under the collar when someone calls to collect an overdue debt. By Ongopotse Motlhanke, CEO of Khumbula Tech And yet, it’s...
The evolution of BPO
Business process outsourcing (BPO) is not new. In the 1980s and 1990s, companies began outsourcing their back-office functions like payroll processing, accounting and data entry to a third-party provider. By Peter Andrew, CEO of CCI South Africa This allowed them to...
BPO is changing lives across Africa
With nearly 60% of its population under the age of 25, youth unemployment remains a pressing concern for Africa. By Lizelle Strydom, MD of CareerBox Africa Around 12-million young people enter the workforce each year, but only 3-million formal jobs are created...
The BPO margin crisis no one wants to talk about
With the outsourcing space becoming increasingly cutthroat, BPOs find themselves trapped in a relentless race to the bottom. Aggressive pricing demands from clients and undercutting by low-cost competitors leave local operators with no choice but to sacrifice margins...
Omnichannel communication, automation help businesses have better conversations
South Africa’s business communications landscape is undergoing a major transformation, driven by the proliferation of digital channels and the rise in use of technology to deliver improved customer experience (CX). By Rob Lith, chief commercial officer at Telviva At a...
Career lessons from the BPO industry
August in South Africa is inevitably a month that calls for reflection and introspection on the options facing women for meaningful, career-long employment opportunities. By Anusha Ramraj, chief financial officer of CCI South Africa As I reflect on my journey, I am...