BPESA CEO Reshni Singh.
South Africa’s global business services (GBS) sector created 26 346 new jobs servicing international markets in 2025 – its highest annual total since 2018.
In addition, just under 23 800 of those roles, or about 90%, were filled by young people, based on Business Process Enabling South Africa’s(BPESA’s) GBS sector report.
The GBS sector, sometimes referred to as business process outsourcing, has been identified as the green shoot that can help overcome the country’s unemployment, with the sector targeting 500 000 new jobs by 2030.
The sector has witnessed significant investment from international players in recent years, bringing offshore opportunities to South Africa, providing youth employment opportunities.
It is now recognised as a preferred offshore delivery location for markets like the UK and US.
National industry body BPESA’s report highlights that all four active GBS provinces contributed to the total number of new jobs servicing international markets.
The Western Cape, which is considered an industry pioneer, witnessed significant job growth for the year, with 13 056 jobs posted in 2025. This is an increase compared to 9 549 positions logged in 2024.
The Western Cape is followed by KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), which recorded 7 709 new jobs. By comparison, the KZN province recorded 6 908 in 2024.
In Gauteng, the province recorded 3 969 new jobs for the year, compared to 3 810 in 2024. Meanwhile, the Eastern Cape recorded 1 612 new jobs for the year, which was up from 251 jobs in 2024.
According to BPESA, South Africa’s GBS sector has become internationally recognised for its leadership in impact sourcing.
This is one of the reasons why an average of 90% of sector hires are youth, with approximately 30% coming from households where no one was previously employed, or where families are entirely dependent on social grants.
Impact sourcing is a business practice in which companies intentionally hire people from disadvantaged or underrepresented communities to deliver outsourced business services, while creating measurable social and economic benefits.
Reshni Singh, CEO of BPESA, comments: “Impact sourcing is the future of South Africa’s global business services sector. It’s about future-proofing not just our sector, but our young talent, who ultimately define our global positioning.”
Yesterday, BPESA unveiled its guide for talent sourcing in the sector in uMhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal, with further rollout planned for Johannesburg and Cape Town.
The Impact Sourcing Practical Guide is aimed at sector operators that are still developing or refining their impact sourcing and inclusive hiring models. It was developed with contributions from BPESA’s partner, Harambee, and a range of employers, training providers and delivery partners.
“The success of South Africa’s GBS sector is measured by who benefits from that growth. As an industry, we have set ourselves an ambitious goal of creating between 350 000 and 500 000 cumulative jobs by 2030. This will require us to continually expand, strengthen and diversify our talent pipeline,” notes Singh.
“The GBS sector is growing and hiring at entry-level, but existing programmes are not producing enough beneficiaries able to take up the roles employers offer. Impact sourcing is the bridge, and models that are demand-led and proven at scale are how you build that pipeline,” adds Adjoa Ayivor, CEO and co-founder of Shadow Global.
