Gilda Odera – Kenya’s BPO CZAR

Posted by Staff Writer on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at 8:41pm.

Gilda Odera is a Pioneer in Kenya’s burgeoning outsourcing Industry.  She founded the second call center in the country offering services to international clients.

An Upper Second Class Graduate of the University of Nairobi in 1989, Gilda started her working career as a marketer in a company called Marketing Support Services and worked her way up to a Director position in the company, a position she held ‘till leaving in 2001 to start Skyweb Technologies Ltd, an ISP company which she co-founded and still owns.

Gilda has run Skyweb Technologies Ltd for the past 9 years.  In 2005, she started Skyweb-Evans, in pursuit of a passion to develop the Call Center and Business Process Outsourcing(BPO) industry in Kenya and is now the point person for the Government of Kenya as Chairperson for the BPO/ITES Working Group.  The Group reports to the Prime Minister of Kenya.

Gilda was until recently, the Chairperson of the Kenya BPO Society which she founded.  She’s also received numerous rewards including the Africa ICT Achievers’ Award, Top ICT Business Woman, Best Entrepreneur of the Year by Computer Society of Kenya among others.

Gilda is married with two children and enjoys community service. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Milimani where she has served as a Community Service Director and Club Secretary. She is also a member of OWIT (Organisation of Women in Trade).

Gilda believes in equal opportunities for all and is passionate about empowering women.
Interview

ABS: Gilda, you’re a pioneer in the Kenya BPO(Business Process Outsourcing) industry…I imagine you encountered some major bumps in the road in a country that was not considered among the worlds traditional BPO destinations….When did you get started and what types of growing pains did you experience?

Gilda Odera: We started in August 2005. At the time, hardly anyone knew what BPO was or meant. We were using expensive satellite communication which cost us USD 5000 Per MB per month. The lines would sometimes chop and we had to call off our agents for a few minutes then resume and this was costly to us. We had to invest in training our staff for at least one month to be ready to get on the phones and that too was costly.

ABS: You’ve witnessed the evolution of the ICT Industry in Kenya over the last decade…what’s your assessment of it?  Do you think the right steps are being taken by the Government and private sector to make Kenya globally competitive?  Do you think this industry could potentially catapult Kenya into a Middle Class economy?

Gilda Odera: Kenya is no doubt leading in ICT in Africa, but we have not done a good enough job to let the world know this. Some other African countries have made more noise about their ICT “savvy” to the world but to be honest have nothing much on the ground. Kenya IS the ICT Hub in Africa.
We have seen a great evolution of the Industry over the last decade. There is a great explosion of the use of mobile phones for banking, data and so much more. Indeed, over 25 million Kenyans are using mobile phones and not just to talk.

With the three fibre optic cables that landed in Kenya recently, we can only expect the Internet costs to go down further from the USD500 Per MB it is now. This reduction is from USD 5000 one year ago so this is definitely an evolution. Internet Speeds are getting better by the month.

Yes, the Government and private sector are making Kenya globally competitive. The right policies are in place and the private sector is one of the most vibrant in Africa. I would also say it’s the most innovative and one that is most exposed to global standards of operation. I often smile when I see first time visitors to Kenya totally awed and shocked by how much there is to offer here yet they never realized this. The ICT industry will definitely catapult Kenya into a middle class economy if we continue at the current rate.

ABS: I recently attended a conference that focused on ICT in Kenya and there was a presentation by a BPO expert who discussed several BPO hot spots in the world, none of which included an African country.  What will it take for an African country to be considered a top ten outsourcing destination by the world’s leading outsourcers?  Also, which three countries in Africa do you think are the best positioned to expand their BPO sectors and make them globally competitive and why?

Gilda Odera: Kenya is now on the map, no doubt. Several renowned consulting and research firms have stated so in their most recent reports. However, we must do much more to market this country gloablly.  Kenya is now among the preferred emerging market destinations in Africa. The three countries in Africa that are best positioned to expand their BPO Sectors are Egypt who are already doing very well (I am surprised the expert you refer to did not even have Egypt- we must always be wary of who the expert is-Egypt has made a name globally), South Africa and Kenya.

Egypt has the infrastructure and numbers, so does SA which is a more developed country in Africa and Kenya now has both the infrastructure and the people.  The locations are also very suitable with Kenya being a hub for Sub-Saharan travel.  Kenya’s geographical location is perfect for both North American and European work.

ABS: How old is the BPO sector in Kenya and how has this changed with the arrival of the SEACOM and TEAMS fibre optic cables?   Are you now seeing an uptick in net revenue for local companies?

Gilda Odera: The BPO Sector is now just over 6yrs old in Kenya. The arrival of the cables is now creating excitement as more players can now join the industry. Local companies are still lacking sufficient work but things are looking up. There is a great upsurge in higher end work like software development ,animation and accounting . These are growing faster than BPO work.

ABS: Are there particular segments of the BPO sector that Kenya should focus and invest in (i.e. Data, Outcall, Incall, IT, Consulting)?

Gilda Odera: Yes!  Both BPO and KPO(Knowledge Process Outsourcing).  Incall/outcall, data, software development, animation, accounting and HR.

ABS: Which cities in Kenya do you think are best equipped to host BPO companies and how big do you think the impact could be for local citizens and the current high unemployment rates?

Gilda Odera: Nairobi, Kisumu, Eldoret, Mombasa, Machakos (there is a techno-city being built in Machakos).

ABS: When I spoke with you last, you mentioned that foreign companies were already setting up shop in the country.  Where are these multinationals coming from and do they pose a threat to Kenyan owned companies or startups?

Gilda Odera: From the US, India, UK. Most of these come here with their own work. Others may pose a threat to local owned companies but I look at it this way.  This is an opportunity for increased knowledge transfer and mergers. Local companies still have their niche.

ABS: Are there training opportunities in Kenya for individuals interested in working in the industry and are there capacity building programs for aspiring entrepreneurs interested in entering the sector for the first time?  What advice would you give to someone interested in entering the BPO sector?

Gilda Odera: Oh yes. There are training companies in Kenya. One of my companies is the Training Partner of BCI certifications in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Nigeria.  BCI as you know is the world’s largest BPO certifications organization.

There are several initiatives for those entering the sector for the first time. For instance, the World Bank has financed a four year program to train youth in various areas and BPO is one of the areas so they are “BPO READY.”   Universities and colleges are also now offering BPO training in their institutions as well.

ABS: You are Founder and Chairperson of the Kenya BPO Society.  Can you tell us what this organization does and how the BPO sector can benefit?

Gilda Odera: I recently stepped down as Chairperson of the Kenya BPO Society.  I was appointed to Chair the BPO/ITES (Business Process Outsourcing/ Information Technology Enabled Service) Working Group in the Office of the Prime Minister. We are a Think Tank of 5 private sector people who advise, monitor and coordinate with the Government on all BPO/ITES matters.

ABS: Finally, what’s next for you?  What would you like to accomplish by the end of this year and this decade?

Gilda Odera: So much. I want to see so much happening- watch this space.

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Gilda, thank you so much for your time.  We appreciate your openness and willingness to discuss this very important Sector and its implications for the future of Kenya.  We wish you the best of success in your role as Chair of the BPO/ITES Working Group and with your various businesses.  We’ll be watching this space, while others join what seems to be an ICT revolution in Kenya.