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The Kenyan Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector is buzzing. Kenya’s BPO Solutions are projected to grow to around $250 million in 2024, with a projected growth rate of at least 6% (Statista). Kenya isn’t a newbie in the BPO industry either. The BPO industry began in Kenya as early as the 1990s. With early assignments starting with low-skill functions, such as data encoding, Kenya has evolved into a destination for more sophisticated BPO functions. Today, Kenya excels in BPO functions including graphic design, social media management, legal outsourcing, and financial services, among others (Ministry of Information, Communications, and Technology, Kenya). Though Kenya has a considerably-sized BPO industry that has been established for decades, this sector is not saturated. Moreover, the BPO sector in the country is expanding with new entrants coming into the game. In this article, we will share how Kenya has transformed itself into one of the best options for foreign companies to outsource various functions.
Why Does Kenya's BPO Industry Have an Edge?
Kenya’s BPO solutions offer foreign companies worldwide several unique advantages. In addition to the affordable packages Kenyan BPO companies offer, the country offers a deep pool of talent, reliable infrastructure, government support, and more.
Kenya Has a Deep Talent Pool for Its BPO Industry
Recently, East Africa, led by Kenya, has been overcoming the challenges of educating its young people. Today, Kenya’s youth have access to free primary education, with a growing number of public universities, thirty-five as of 2024, enrolling 130,000 students. Including private universities, Kenya had 563,000 students enrolled in universities (Statista) in 2023.
Moreover, Kenya’s young population is culturally familiar with the West. With over sixty BPO operators and growing, an increasing number of Kenya’s workforce is becoming proficient in BPO software. Apart from these, their exceptional grasp of international business and finance practices and a friendly, tolerant, and polite culture make them a preferred choice for BPO services.
Kenya Has an Excellent Internet Infrastructure and Growing Internet Penetration.
One of the primary reasons Kenya is an excellent option for BPO is its robust ICT infrastructure and improving internet penetration rate. With internet use at 46% and growing (up from 32.7% at the start of 2023), it indicates a fertile field for cultivating the tech-savviness of its young talent pool. Moreover, 13.05 million Kenyans are social media users as of January 2024. As of March 2024, Kenya has 12,500 servers supporting 800,000 broadband subscriptions and 19 million smartphones.
English Is the Country's Official Language
Another advantage Kenya has is that English is its official language. English is primarily used for educational, commercial, and administrative purposes and is widely used in the media. Kenyans are also introduced to English early because it is the medium of instruction from grade four onwards in rural areas and from the first grade in urban areas. Today, an estimated 2.7 million Kenyans speak English.
Kenyan BPO Companies Offer Affordable Services
Kenya offers a compelling combination of lower labor costs, operational expenses, and competitive infrastructure costs. Coupled with the exceptional technical skills of Kenyan BPO employees, businesses that wish to outsource tasks to Kenya can enjoy a highly cost-effective environment.
Kenya Has a Timezone Advantage
Kenya’s time zone (East African Time, or EAT) overlaps with major business hubs in North America and Europe. EAT is approximately 7 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST) and 3 hours ahead of Central European Time (CET), which allows for seamless communication and collaboration between Kenyan BPO teams and clients located in these regions. This overlap also means BPO centers in Kenya can provide services during extended hours, compared to locations in vastly different time zones. This exceptional alignment of time zones helps streamline operations and improve productivity, as there are fewer communication delays and misunderstandings due to time differences.
Kenya’s BPO Sector Enjoys Excellent Government Support
Kenya’s government is actively strengthening its BPO infrastructure through several initiatives. One noteworthy initiative is the Third BPO/ITES Medium Term Plan. This plan prioritizes projects like the Konza Technopolis, a smart city promoting BPO growth. Additionally, Kenya’s government supports the education framework through its Digital Literacy Programme, which upskills the workforce to ensure many Kenyans qualify to take on BPO jobs. Moreover, the Kenyan government actively subsidizes its broadband for BPO companies with partnerships for training centers to further enhance the country’s competitiveness.
Conclusion: Consider Kenya for Business Process Outsourcing
Kenya’s BPO industry is fast becoming a compelling destination for businesses worldwide seeking high-quality, cost-effective outsourcing solutions. Kenya’s deep talent pool, reliable infrastructure, English language competency, favorable time zone, and strong government support offer a unique combination of advantages that make this East African nation a competitive choice for global companies. As the BPO sector continues to grow, Kenya’s position as a leading outsourcing hub is poised to strengthen further.
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