BPO track:Positioning Kenya as Africa's Next Hub for Outsourcing IT Enabled Services (ITES)

Eng. John Tanui, Principal Secretary for ICT and Digital Economy, was the keynote speaker this afternoon during the panel discussion on the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) track on day one of the Connected Africa Summit 2025 (CAS25). The summit, themed "The Digital Journey: Vision to Reality," is being held at the Diamonds Leisure Beach and Golf Resort in Diani.

In his address, PS Tanui highlighted the vast potential of the global BPO market, currently valued at over $260 billion and projected to exceed $500 billion. 

He also emphasized Kenya’s strong international connectivity, with multiple submarine cables linking Mombasa to global networks, significantly enhancing the country’s digital infrastructure and positioning it as a prime destination for IT-enabled Services outsourcing.

From the panel discussion it emerged that Kenya is actively building a robust foundation for digital and BPO sector growth, focusing on infrastructure, skills development, policy support, and international partnerships.

Among the exceptional lineup of distinguished panelists were Alexander Fierley, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to Kenya, Jon Beardsley, Programme Director Digital Livelihoods and Shared Value and Impact, Genesis Analytics, John Kiria, Director E-Commerce and Entrepreneurship, Ministry of Information, Communications and The Digital Economy.

Christin Schulz-Kaunga, Programme Head, Digital Transformation Centre Kenya, GIZ ended the session with her closing remarks noting that the session is a valuable starting point for continued conversations and partnerships to position Kenya as Africa’s next hub for IT-Enabled Services.