UK call centres in move to Cape Town

LEADING British companies are understood to be in advanced talks to outsource their call centres to South Africa to counter India's dominance of the market.

Ebrahim Rasool, premier of South Africa's Western Cape province, said UK firms were attracted by the low rate of staff turnover, a relatively cheap labour force and the small timezone difference.

'Indian call centres tend to attract graduates who are passing through and getting work experience,' he said. 'In South Africa, it's seen as more of a job for life. And we speak better English.' It is understood that BT, with 33 'contact centres' in Britain and India, is among companies looking to outsource to Cape Town.

BT insisted that it had no plans to open its own call centres in South Africa.

The reputation of India's call centres has suffered recently following widespread reports of poor customer service and Rasool sees this as an opportunity to establish South Africa as a 'credible alternative'.