Investment in public transport yields 1 000 call centre jobs at a MyCiTi bus stop

The City of Cape Town has established the country’s most successful bus rapid transit system, otherwise known as the MyCiTi bus service.

Since its roll-out in May 2010, the MyCiTi service has been providing residents and visitors across Cape Town with access to safe, reliable, and affordable public transport, enabling thousands of commuters to access job opportunities.  

The MyCiTi service consists of 40 routes, 42 stations and 380 bus stop pairs, with 255 buses operating during the peak-hour periods, transporting an average of 65 995 passengers on a weekday. 

During the past seven years, the City has also invested in broadband infrastructure to stimulate new economic opportunities for our residents. 

The City’s Organisational Development and Transformation Plan prioritises investment that will position Cape Town as a forward-looking, globally competitive business city, drive economic inclusion, and leverage technology for progress.

‘The creation of work opportunities is the single biggest benefit that the City can offer its residents. In my opinion it is very important for us to encourage young people to actively participate in the economy and to seize opportunities so that we can reduce poverty and unemployment,’ said the City’s Executive Mayor, Patricia de Lille.

‘We are beginning to see the return on this investment with the expansion of a call centre on the Voortrekker Road corridor which will add 1 000 jobs to our local economy. The new phase of the Capita Call Centre is located adjacent to one of our MyCiTi bus stops in Maitland, meaning those employed at the call centre can use our MyCiTi service to travel to and from work,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Transport and Urban Development, Councillor Brett Herron.

The City is using public transport to achieve a more compact, efficient and sustainable city. Cape Town’s major public transport corridors form the backbone of what are called integration zones. The Voortrekker Road corridor is one of these integration zones (IZs) where we are spending the bulk of our capital budget on projects and interventions to transform Cape Town’s spatial reality and to address the legacy of Apartheid spatial planning.

‘By prioritising dense, transit-oriented growth and development in these IZs, the City seeks to create more inclusive communities with access to improved services, job opportunities, and affordable housing and public transport. The opening of the second phase of the Capita Call Centre in Maitland is a shining example of what we are pursuing. The new phase adds a 1 000 new jobs to the existing 700 employees already based at the centre. The combined 1 700 job opportunities are a realisation of our strategic investment in fibre and affordable public transport,’ said Councillor Herron.

The call centre is also in close proximity to a train station.

‘The call centre depends on affordable, reliable transport for its employees. We want to increase similar employment nodes across the city, and are very aware of the valuable role of commuter rail in achieving this outcome. We have already embarked on a process for getting urban rail back on track. Last month Council approved our Business Plan for the assignment of the urban rail function to the City – this is the first step in working towards a more reliable and integrated public transport system,’ said Councillor Herron.

The developers of the second phase of the call centre also made use of water-saving initiatives during construction. 

‘They captured run-off from the roofs, thus no municipal water was used during construction. This is a clear example that it is possible to undertake new developments and still be water efficient. I want to commend Capita for their water-wise approach,’ said Councillor Herron.

The redevelopment of the building and its interior design pay tribute to the heritage of the area and the important role that the textile industry played in this neighbourhood. The conversion to a call centre indicates the future direction and options for new job opportunities in IZs.

‘We are committed to the growth of the business. We invested in employee training and leadership programmes, and the natural next step was to expand our existing facility to provide services to more clients across Europe and beyond. We are excited by the opportunities the new site will afford us and the value we will add to the local economy as we keep on expanding,’ said the Managing Director of Capita SA, Franco Cotumaccio.