THE opening of a new company in Nelson Mandela is a beacon of hope in the time of unemployment and COVID-19, as it aims at creating several job opportunities over the next few years.
These were the words of Nelson Mandela Bay acting Mayor, Tshonono Buyeye, during the recent launch of Dastile Wealth Insure (DWI) at its offices in Central. An authorised financial services provider company, it currently accommodates 55 staff members, who specialise in telemarketing, customer care and quality assurance.
During the launch, Buyeye said that he had held a meeting with one of the companies that had been in the metro for some time and announced that they were closing.
“We were engaging and trying to check what could be done to save the situation but while it is dire on the one side, there is hope on the other side.
“This call centre facility is in the heart of the historic Central area. Its expansion offers Nelson Mandela Bay and all those who work in the call centre industry a fresh perspective which I’m certain will assist with opportunities that will give us direction on how to address job creation and skills development post COVID-19,” Buyeye said.
“It signals a beacon of hope, an opportunity for unemployed youth at a time when our metro, country and the world are grappling with the aftermath of the economic devastation left by the pandemic.”
Buyeye commended the company for paving the way for other aspiring entrepreneurs. He added that there were several potentially competitive advantages that could be created in this sector, but that the process had to be informed by an identification of real capacities and opportunities.
“Needless to say, our local economy welcomes the new investment and collaborative partnership of DWI with the service sector industry, which is poised to deliver a real competitive advantage in the business process outsourcing sector.
“To this end, we, in the Nelson Mandela Bay, look forward to a mutually rewarding business relationship, as we strive to enhance our growth and enable our local economy to meet its full potential,” Buyeye added.
DWI founder and owner, Vuyo Dastile, said that the company had grown from employing just 18 staff members in 2019 to 55 permanent staff members currently. The company, that currently offers services to Old Mutual and 1 Life Insurance, has plans to expand the team to 250 permanent staff members in three years and ultimately be employing 500 people in five years.
NMBM acting city manager and executive director for economic development, tourism and agriculture, Anele Qaba, said that DWI had invested in Nelson Mandela Bay at the right time.
“This brings hope to us and those sitting at home, unemployed, that they will get something in future. The sector has potential to employ young people, particularly matriculants who might not be able to further their studies for whatever reason.
“They can be absorbed and, as a metro with a huge challenge of youth unemployment, this sector has proved to be very attractive for the youth,” Qaba said.
“The metro is bleeding economically due to COVID-19 and this is one sector that can save us. The service is most needed.
“We have been a metro dependent on manufacturing and the danger in that as we have seen with COVID-19, is that once the main sector is affected, particularly with international business trading, the metro gets affected too. Therefore, we had to look at other sectors to expand our options and this is one of them.”
