- Buyer expertise roles, which account for 44% of jobs within the BPO trade, are among the many most affected, with half of duties in these roles being automatable.
- Finance and accounting positions within the BPO sector face related challenges, with practically two-thirds of junior-level duties in danger.
- Duties carried out by ladies within the BPO trade are on common 10% extra prone to automation than these by males.
Kenya’s Enterprise Course of Outsourcing (BPO) market is present process tectonic shifts with revenues anticipated to succeed in $272.10 million in 2025 with an annual progress fee of 5.96 per cent. This alteration has resulted in a projected market quantity of $343.00 million by 2029.
To harness the expansion potential of this trade, policymakers within the authorities of Kenya plans to create a million BPO/ Info Know-how Enabled Providers (ITES) jobs within the subsequent 5 years via supportive insurance policies and incentives.
Nonetheless, the rise of automation might decelerate this progress. A brand new research by Caribou and Genesis Analytics, in partnership with the Mastercard Basis identifies Buyer Expertise roles, which account for roughly 44 per cent of present employment within the African BPO trade, as significantly weak, with half of the duties vulnerable to automation.
The survey additional identifies that 40 per cent of duties in Africa’s tech outsourcing sector, together with BPO (Enterprise Course of Outsourcing) and ITES (IT-Enabled Providers), could possibly be automated in just below 5 years, creating new pathways for staff to maneuver into higher-skilled, and, subsequently, higher-paying alternatives.
With simply 10 p.c of duties totally resilient to automation, strategic funding in widespread Synthetic Intelligence (AI) upskilling and coaching will likely be crucial in unlocking Africa’s $35 billion BPO potential by 2028, the trade survey notes.
Why focused upskilling applications are inevitable
In accordance with Rodwell Mangisi, Director of Digital Economic system Pan African Applications on the Mastercard Basis, “Africa’s tech outsourcing trade is increasing quickly, including new jobs and alternatives every year. As AI transforms international enterprise processes, Africa can lead by making certain its workforce is AI-ready. By investing in focused upskilling applications, particularly for girls and younger professionals, we are able to guarantee this 6 per cent annual progress interprets into sustainable, high-value employment that advantages all demographics.”
In the intervening time, AI is already deeply built-in into Africa’s BPO and ITES trade, driving effectivity and innovation at scale. Employees are utilizing rising instruments and applied sciences akin to ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and in-house chatbots to reinforce productiveness, creativity, and accuracy.
These AI-powered applied sciences help with coding, debugging, content material technology, and customer support, enabling workers to deal with strategic problem-solving, decision-making, and higher-value duties. Because of this, they see alternatives for profession development and transitioning into higher-level roles.
Regardless of these alternatives, AI’s fast rise might impression sure roles within the BPO trade, the survey reveals. As an example, entry-level jobs, which represent 68 per cent of the workforce are significantly at excessive danger, with greater than half of duties being automatable.
To futureproof the trade, which is a crucial employer of tech-savvy youth, AI-driven upskilling applications are wanted to allow staff to shift into higher-skilled, better-paying roles in cybersecurity, AI administration, and knowledge providers.
Charlene Migwe, Program Director at Caribou mentioned: “Africa’s tech outsourcing sector is at a pivotal second. With the fitting investments in abilities improvement, moral AI, and inclusive insurance policies, we are able to remodel the dangers of automation into new alternatives for innovation and resilience.”
Learn additionally: Kenya eyes $262Bn BPO market with labour legislation reforms
Challenges and alternatives posed by emergence of AI in BPO trade
Whereas AI presents important alternatives, it additionally poses challenges, significantly for girls and youth who predominantly occupy entry-level roles. The report highlights duties carried out by ladies are on common 10 per cent extra prone to automation than these by males within the trade. This disparity dangers exacerbating gender-based inequalities within the sector’s workforce if not proactively addressed.
Moreover, buyer expertise roles, which account for 44 per cent of employment within the BPO trade, are among the many most affected, with half of duties in these roles being automatable. What’s extra, finance and accounting positions within the BPO sector face related challenges, with practically two-thirds of junior-level duties in danger.
With out intervention, these shifts might disproportionately impression the livelihoods of younger staff and girls within the sector. To mitigate these dangers, the report stresses the urgency of equitable AI upskilling and reskilling efforts to make sure all demographics can transition into future-proof roles.
