By: Van
Soul Addey
Kenya has held discussions
with a delegation from Germany’s Customer Service and Call Center Verband
Deutschland (CCV) to explore collaboration and investment in the country’s
growing digital economy, as it seeks to become a leading global hub for Business
Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Global Business Services.
The meeting was led by Eng.
John Kipchumba Tanui, Principal Secretary in Kenya’s State Department of ICT
and Digital Economy, and focused on connecting European firms with Kenyan
talent, strengthening local BPO enterprises and building a reliable pipeline of
skilled professionals through partnerships with training institutions.
The three-day mission was
led by Ben Barnack, Vice President for Members and Events at CCV, and
facilitated by the GIZ Digital Transformation Centre Kenya through Joerg
Uehlin, Global Digital Jobs Lead. Friederike Hemker, Deputy Head of Development
Cooperation at the German Embassy in Nairobi, also participated.
CCV represents 336 members
from an industry employing more than 560,000 people in Germany. The visiting
delegation included representatives from regiocom Customer Care SE, yoummday
GmbH, CMX Solutions GmbH, hey contact heroes GmbH, Marketing Insiders Group and
Experience Factory GmbH, as well as the French Customer Relations Association
(AFRC).
According to Tanui, the
participating operators and platforms collectively handle tens of millions of
customer interactions annually across more than 70 countries.
“Our discussions focused on
connecting European firms with Kenyan talent, strengthening local BPO
enterprises, and building a reliable pipeline of skilled professionals through
partnerships with training institutions,” Tanui said.
He added that Kenya was keen
to understand investors’ concerns and address barriers to entry, including ease
of doing business, talent development and regulatory processes.
Kenya’s strengths in
attracting BPO investment include more than 10,000 ICT graduates annually,
English as the language of business, a time zone that overlaps with the
European working day, and Nairobi’s position as the Silicon Savannah.
The discussions also covered
data protection and progress towards EU data adequacy, which Tanui said would
strengthen confidence in cross-border data flows.
As artificial intelligence
reshapes the BPO industry, he said Kenya must invest in the right skills and
promote responsible adoption. Several of the visiting firms already operate
AI-enabled delivery models, indicating the direction in which the industry is
moving.
“Kenya's ambition to become
a leading global hub for Business Process Outsourcing and Global Business
Services depends on connecting our digital talent with international markets,”
Tanui said.
He said the country’s focus
was on creating more jobs for young people, strengthening Kenyan enterprises
and increasing investment.
