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Amazon, an American multinational technology company, announced today that it will employ 3,000 new customer service staff for its operations in South Africa in 2020. The employees will work virtually and provide 24/7 support to Amazon customers in North America and Europe, according to a statement sent to Financial Nigeria on Thursday.

Amazon, which has the world’s largest e-commerce company, said the additional 3,000 permanent and seasonal full-time workers will bring its total permanent workforce in South Africa to 7,000. The tech firm said the roles will range from customer service associates to technical experts.

The additional workforce will also support the South African labour market, which has been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The country is currently faced with an unemployment rate of 35.3 per cent, according to an email statement by the e-commerce giant.

“The new jobs reflect our continued commitment to South Africa’s economic development, and I am proud to have South Africa be a growing part of our ability to deliver a great experience to Amazon customers around the world and provide employees with the opportunity to work safely from home,” said Andrew Raichlin, Director of Amazon Customer Service in South Africa.

Among the criteria for eligible candidates are National Qualification Framework (NQF) Level 4 qualification (Grade 12 national certificate) or a higher qualification; excellent command of English; and candidates must be South African citizens.

Amazon said the technical positions will support customer inquiries on its business divisions, including devices, digital and Alexa. These roles will require candidates to translate technical information and provide instructions to help Amazon customers troubleshoot issues. Given that applicants will be working from home, they are required to have a private and quiet workspace and dedicated internet connection based on Amazon specifications. Applicants are also required to check www.amazon.jobs, filtering by location and choosing South Africa to view the open positions.

Speaking on the job opportunities announced by Amazon, South African Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Ebrahim Patel, said “We welcome the decision by Amazon to locate more of its global services in South Africa. The COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating the digital transition of work, and this decision by Amazon to locate these jobs in South Africa shows our ability to offer a good value-proposition. Government has focused part of our incentive programme on the industry, and with our talent, strong ICT infrastructure and digital capabilities, we aim to secure thousands more jobs like these in years to come."

Amazon first established its presence in Cape Town in 2004, when it set up a Development Center to provide networking, next-generation software for customer support, and software programmes utilized by its Amazon Web Services (AWS) business division, among others. In 2015, AWS expanded its presence in the country, opening an AWS office in Johannesburg. The company has continued to expand its operations in South Africa.  

In April 2020, AWS launched its first AWS Region in Africa comprised of three Availability Zones in South Africa. The AWS Region will provide businesses of all sizes and government organizations with remote working platforms, cloud applications and enable them store their data locally. It will also enable them to reach end users across Africa with even lower latency.