Kenya is seeking to attract more investment in business process outsourcing (BPO) and digital services following talks between government officials and a delegation from Germany’s customer service industry.
The delegation from the Customer Service and Call Center Association Germany (CCV) met Principal Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy John Tanui to discuss investment opportunities, partnerships and job creation in the sector.
During the meeting, Tanui said the government was ready to support investors interested in establishing or expanding their operations in Kenya.
“We are ready to work with you to make sure that you can make use of all the opportunities offered by this country,” Tanui told the audience.
During the discussion, it was about what should be done to enable Kenya to become a preferred destination for outsourcing services by companies looking for a destination for their outsourcing activities.
According to Tanui, there were many aspects such as the digital infrastructure, the skilled labour force, the policies that govern outsourcing, and the geography that would make Kenya a preferred outsourcing destination.
There was also a discussion on the preparation of Kenyans for jobs in the digital services market.
Officials discussed strengthening partnerships between businesses and training institutions to ensure that graduates acquire skills required by the industry.
Another issue raised was Kenya’s progress towards securing European Union data protection adequacy status, which could help facilitate the transfer of personal data between the EU and Kenya.
Such recognition would be particularly relevant to BPO companies handling customer information for European businesses, as data protection requirements are an important consideration in cross-border service delivery.
Mary Kerema, Secretary in the ICT, Digital Economy and Emerging Technologies Directorate, said there was a need to identify practical measures that would support investors and encourage growth in the sector.
The meeting comes as Kenya seeks to expand its digital economy and create more employment opportunities for young people through technology-related services.
However, the discussions did not include details of specific investment commitments, the number of jobs expected to be created or a timeline for any proposed projects.
The State Department for ICT and the Digital Economy said it remained committed to supporting investment, innovation and employment in the sector.
