During the lockdown, national government is allowing call centres that provide essential services to local and international markets to operate.
These exemptions apply to companies that provide support services relating to health, social support, government and financial services.
DirectAxis, a call centre in Diep River, said in a statement in response to Covid-19 that access to credit and insurance was listed as an essential service during the lockdown.
DirectAxis, part of FirstRand Bank, provides essential financial services through its call centre, so it can still operate during the lockdown.
The company said it had reconfigured its operations so most staff could work from home, giving the public access to the credit and insurance they might need during this time.
James Vos, Mayco member for economic opportunities and asset management, said call centres employed about
290 000 people in the City, mainly working in utilities, transport and telecommunications.
“We want to encourage the businesses that are operating under the exemption to
ensure that they function optimally, through the implementation of innovative practices, while practising personal hygiene measures and social distancing,” Mr Vos said.
“We are further providing support services through the City’s Business Hub providing real-time support and advice to our local businesses and industry.”
He encourages businesses to send their questions to business.support@capetown.gov.za or supportbusiness@wesgro.co.za.
Mr Vos said call centres were a key part of Cape Town’s economy, providing job opportunities to young people and
continuing to contribute to the growth of an economy under pressure.
For the last five years, the City’s investment in the sector, which employed 59 000 people in the province, had generated an investment of more than
R4.7 billion, he said.
