Two sectors creating jobs: outsourced services and renewable energy
Published 20 Sept 2026
Business process outsourcing and renewable energy are both expanding fast. Both need trained people, which is good news for training providers.
Global Business Services (BPO)
According to BPESA, the industry body for the Global Business Services sector, the sector created over 14,000 new jobs between January and September 2024 — 12,564 of them taken up by youth — and is on track to create 500,000 jobs by 2030 under the GBS Sector Master Plan.
Renewable energy
The South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM), approved by Cabinet in April 2025, sets out an industrial plan for renewable energy and storage value chains by 2030. National planning points to 50–60 GW of renewable capacity by 2030, driving demand across manufacturing, installation and maintenance.
The skills angle
Both sectors need trained people: contact centre and customer-service skills for BPO, and technical installation and maintenance skills for renewable energy. For training providers, both are sectors worth aligning programmes to.
Source: BPESA
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