Outsourcing to Kenya: Cocktail and networking session between Kenyan BPO companies & the UK Diaspora

The Kenya ICT Board and the Kenya BPO and Contact Centre Society, in partnership with NETWORKING4PROFESSIONALS.COM, hosted a cocktail and networking reception in London, on 19th September, 2008 at the Hilton Hotel, Kensington. Click here to watch a video clip from the event or watch the video by clicking the play button on the video below

There has been keen interest and debate about initiatives aimed at attracting investment in BPO and ICT to Kenya. The emphasis thus far  has been on marketing Kenya internationally, to European and North American companies and investors who are looking to either outsource or offshore.

On Monday 16th September, the Kenya ICT Board along with a delegation of leading Kenyan industry players and stakeholders launched the country’s BPO Value proposition to the European market at the Call Centre Expo in Birmingham. The value proposition spells out Kenya’s BPO and Off-shoring value Proposition which is summarised under 3 broad areas namely a thriving economy, a growing BPO industry and public sector commitment to the growth of outsourcing industry.

On Tuesday, 16 September 2008, only a day after the launch of the country’s BPO value proposition, Kencall, the largest call center in Kenya, bagged the prestigious award of the Non-European Call Centre of the Year at the European Call Center Awards, 2008. The glamorous 2008 European Call Center Awards was held in Birmingham, UK. It was a proud day for Kenya as Kencall emerged the winner after beating three others finalists - 24-7 (India) who were also the winners of the award last year, EMP Marketing and Promotion (UAE) and Vodacom (South Africa). Nick Nesbit, MD Kencall received the award a before a crowd of over 1,000 people drawn from the prestigious European Call Centre Industry, confirming that Kenya is indeed a real contender in this multibillion dollar industry and is a world class call centre.

It is against this background that we hosted the networking and cocktail event for Kenyan professionals in the UK Diaspora on Friday, 19th September, in London. This event brought together major stakeholders in the ICT and BPO sectors from Kenya and the UK Diaspora, to exchange views, experiences and promote Kenya as an alternative outsourcing destination.

A key market segment that we have identified for Kenyan BPO companies is the Kenyans in the Diaspora. Many of them are keen on investing back home in Kenya, while a good number of them are working in positions in the Western corporate world, where they can influence decisions on where their companies should outsource their non-core functions. It is therefore crucial for the Kenyan strategy to include Kenyans, and Africans in the Diaspora.

Kenya is ideally suited to become a premier African provider of BPO services to the global economy by 2010.  Kenya has favourable time zones (GMT+3), enviable geographical position as the gateway to East and Central African countries, well educated English speaking population with high literacy and vibrant economy and political environment. 

For Enquiries Contact: 

Lucy Odhiambo Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Tel: +254 20 2093040 / 0737 839047

Dr. Lawrence Mbugua: email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Tel: +44 560 1565 893

Event Sponsors:

Kenya ICT Board	The Kenya ICT Board was established in 2007 as a state corporation with the aim of promoting and developing Kenya as a leading outsourcing destination. The ICT board also aims to promote access and utilization of ICT for all Kenyans as well as developing a competitive ICT industry in Kenya.
Kenya BPO and Contact Centre Society	Kenya BPO and Contact Centre Society (KBPOCCS) is the private sector association representing the needs of the Contact Centre and Business Process Outsourcing industry in Kenya. The Society's mandate is to establish a strong BPO and Contact Centre industry that will create employment in Kenya and become a large revenue generating sector in the country.
N4P	NETWORKING4PROFESSIONALS.COM (N4P) is the leading network of African professionals and business entrepreneurs in the UK and already has a working group that has been mobilising investor confidence in Kenya’s ICT and BPO sector.

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