Bringing BPO operations closer to where employees live reduces barriers to work, strengthens operating performance and keeps more economic value within local communities. Through its Safe-Hub network, AMANDLA Social Enterprises has developed a proven model that makes township-based operations secure, commercially viable and ready to scale.
Johannesburg, 9 October 2026: South Africa’s business process outsourcing (BPO) sector is expanding rapidly. To support this growth, Business Process Enabling South Africa (BPESA) has identified a need for the country to build a work-ready workforce equipped with the necessary skills. AMANDLA Social Enterprises together with its partners has gone a step further, taking operations to the workforce.
While many BPO companies already source talent from township communities, this model leverages AMANDLA’s existing network of Safe-Hub sites to bring BPO operations into South Africa’s townships. Existing operations in Jabulani and Alexandra show that the model can work. The model was shaped with a development finance partner, and operating partner Merchants, whose commitment helped bring the model to life. But it also reveals a broader possibility for the sector’s future: its biggest untapped growth opportunity may have been hiding in plain sight all along.
“Recruiting from our communities is not new; the industry has always done it. What makes this model different is that the operation itself sits inside the community,” says Phillip Dürner, Director: Innovation, Digital & New Ventures at AMANDLA Social Enterprises. “That is what keeps the value there: the jobs, local spending and the income that sustains the Safe-Hub around it.”
“Our partnership with AMANDLA has demonstrated what becomes possible when employment opportunities are intentionally brought closer to the communities where talent lives. Beyond improving access to employment, the model has shown that high-quality BPO operations can be established within township communities while creating meaningful social and economic impact,” says Mathew Conn, CRO, Merchants.
How the Safe-Hub BPO model works
The Safe-Hub BPO model brings employment opportunities for young people to the communities where they live. It removes most of the obstacles that would usually prevent them from taking up these opportunities elsewhere and gives BPO companies access to work-ready talent who may previously have been excluded from opportunities because of geographic, transport or other barriers to employment.
Alumni of the Safe-Hub programme have received support at different stages of their development, with some receiving support from early childhood development (ECD) all the way through to work readiness. They are computer literate, have a strong work ethic, have experience working as part of a team and have leadership skills.
The model also addresses the infrastructure and operational risks that might make BPO companies hesitant to establish facilities in township communities. It identifies suitable buildings, helps secure investment for construction and setup, and provides ongoing facilities management. Its established relationships within these communities give partners the local knowledge, support and secure operating environment they need to run reliable, world-class operations.
Since the first centre opened in Jabulani in 2023, the operations have experienced no disruption caused by community unrest.
A win-win-win-win solution
The Safe-Hub BPO model addresses many of the staffing challenges that companies in this sector often face.
- Access to untapped talent: Partners can access a multilingual talent pool that long commutes and prohibitive transport costs have historically kept out of reach. Candidates who have come through the Safe-Hub programme already have a strong foundation of workplace readiness skills, giving partner companies access to a pipeline of high-calibre talent through the Safe-Hub network.
- More engaged workforce: Staff employed through the Safe-Hub BPO model can avoid the stress of long, time-consuming commutes. Employees and their families can also access support through the surrounding Safe-Hub ecosystem, including ECD programmes. This translates into increased engagement, helping partners deliver a more reliable, better-quality service to their clients.
- Less absenteeism and better staff retention: Working closer to home can reduce employees’ dependence on public transport, supporting attendance, punctuality and retention. Lower transport costs also allow employees to retain more of their earnings, giving them another reason to stay.
The model can support BPO partners in delivering reliable, high-quality service to their clients, while also supporting clients’ social impact and ESG objectives and, where applicable, contributing to relevant B-BBEE objectives in South Africa.
For Safe-Hub, these commercial partnerships generate income that helps sustain its operations and reduces its dependence on grants and donations.
“This really is a model where everybody wins,” says Dürner. “BPO partners can address their staffing challenges, their clients benefit tremendously from improved service and genuine ESG value, employees enjoy a better quality of life, and Safe-Hub can provide income-generating services, reducing its reliance on external funding.”
A proven model that’s ready to scale
The Safe-Hub BPO model is not merely theoretical. It has been running successfully since the first centre opened in Jabulani in 2023, followed by another Jabulani centre in 2024 and the Alexandra operation in 2025.
Safe-Hub alumna Philisiwe is testament to the model’s success. She was already employed in a call centre role when she joined the programme in search of opportunities that better aligned with her aspirations. During a year-long programme, she received practical training and developed skills as a facilitator.
When an opportunity arose to apply for a job with Safe-Hub BPO partner Merchants, Philisiwe was prepared. She has now worked at AMANDLA’s BPO Operating partner for a year.
“Having an opportunity close to home has made my life easier. I can walk to work, which has helped me save a lot of money,” she says. “I’m really grateful for the opportunities that were presented to me.”
Safe-Hub aims to make this career pathway available to even more young people by growing its partnership base. Safe-Hub currently operates in communities across South Africa, with further sites in development.
“We have shown that a world-class operation can run from township precincts, including in places the industry long assumed were not viable. That question is settled. What matters now is how quickly we can scale the model across more communities,” says Dürner.
As South Africa’s BPO sector expands, companies that outsource business processes, organisations that run their own contact centres and BPO operators all have an opportunity to bring more work closer to the communities where employees live.
To explore establishing or commissioning a township-based operation through the Safe-Hub network, contact Robin Petersen, Director: Business Development at Safe-Hub, on [email protected].
About Safe-Hub:
Safe-Hub is an established, international social enterprise that works with local partners to create safe, inclusive spaces where young people from under-resourced communities can access the care, resources and opportunities they need to thrive. Through holistic, multi-purpose hubs, Safe-Hub supports young people across their full development journey – from early childhood through to economic participation. Its award-winning sustainability model, developed by AMANDLA Social Enterprises, is rooted in catalysing communities to support themselves by building local leadership, skills and systems that enable long-term impact. Safe-Hub is committed to taking collective action to overcome global inequality and build a more equitable world.
Safe-Hub is currently active in South Africa, Germany, the United States, India and Côte d’Ivoire.
Visit: https://safe-hub.org/
Facebook: Safe-Hub Global
Instagram: safe_hub_global
Press Contact:
Mantis Communications
Kerry Simpson
Tel: 079 438 3252
Email: [email protected]
