South Africa’s recognition as Delivery Destination of the Year at the Global Sourcing Association Awards is a significant endorsement of the country’s talent, service excellence and ability to deliver for global businesses. More than an industry accolade, it provides a platform to build international confidence, attract investment and strengthen South Africa’s role in the global services economy. The next opportunity is to translate that recognition into greater strategic value for businesses and sustainable opportunities for South Africans.
As enterprises increasingly establish Global Capability Centres (GCCs) — enterprise-owned capability centres within a broader Global Business Services (GBS) model — to build specialised expertise and support wider business objectives, the conversation is shifting. Success is no longer defined simply by where work is performed, but by the capabilities, leadership and measurable business impact a location can deliver. South Africa has an opportunity to build on its established strengths and demonstrate how its teams can contribute to innovation, transformation and long-term business performance.
From Delivery Excellence to Strategic Value
Cost efficiency remains a consideration in global operating decisions, but it is only one part of a much broader value proposition. Enterprises need locations that combine skilled talent, strong communication, customer experience, operational resilience, innovation and the leadership required to turn capabilities into measurable impact.
South Africa has a compelling foundation. Its talent, aligned with international markets such as the UK, established delivery ecosystem and experience serving global clients create opportunities to support increasingly specialised and complex work. The priority is to keep testing these capabilities against evolving enterprise needs, identifying where the country can make its greatest contribution and investing in the strengths that differentiate it.
Technology is accelerating this opportunity. As artificial intelligence and automation reshape service delivery, teams can increasingly focus on higher-impact work that draws on human judgement, empathy, problem-solving and specialised expertise. The opportunity is not simply to adopt new technology, but to combine it with the right skills and leadership to improve outcomes, generate fresh ideas and help businesses move faster.
Turning Global Demand into Local Opportunity
The sectors contribution to South Africa is already tangible. According to Business Process Enabling South Africa (BPESA), the global business services sector created 26,346 new international jobs in 2025, its highest annual total since 2018. Approximately 90% of these jobs went to young people.
These figures highlight the sector’s potential to connect international business demand with local talent and economic opportunity. The ambition, however, should be sustainable growth: creating meaningful career pathways, building future-ready skills and developing capabilities that remain valuable as technology and business needs evolve.
Realising this potential requires continued collaboration between industry, government and skills-development partners. Investment in digital skills, training and talent pipelines will be essential to prepare South Africans for the next generation of global services.
Building a More Connected GCC Model
GCCs offer an opportunity to move beyond isolated pockets of expertise towards connected capabilities that support the wider enterprise. In a global network, different locations can build on their respective strengths, share knowledge and work across time zones to deliver continuity, agility and value to the business. A follow-the-sun model, for example, can enable teams in different regions to contribute to a shared outcome rather than operate as standalone centres.
Making this model work requires more than locating skilled people in the right place. It calls for effective leadership, clear accountability, collaboration across the network and a deliberate understanding of where each location can contribute most. South Africa does not need to replicate another market’s scale to establish its own position. It needs to understand its distinctive strengths, invest in them and demonstrate how they translate into measurable business value.
Turning Recognition into Momentum
Delivery Destination of the Year at the Global Sourcing Association Awards gives South Africa a valuable platform from which to tell this story. The recognition reflects the collective contribution of the country’s talent, service providers, captive operations and industry partners. It also creates an opportunity to strengthen the country’s international profile and show enterprises what South Africa can deliver next.
At TransUnion, we recognise the importance of developing capabilities that meet international business needs while creating opportunities for local talent. The wider opportunity for South Africa is to build on its delivery track record; deepen specialised expertise and continually demonstrate the value its teams bring to global operations.
The award is a milestone, but the next chapter will be defined by what follows: sustained investment, stronger capabilities, responsible growth and a greater contribution to enterprise success. By focusing on value, leadership and the evolving partnership between people and technology, South Africa can strengthen its position in the global services economy while creating meaningful, long-term opportunities for its people.
