15 years of Sigma Connected – building a different kind of BPO

Fifteen years. Saying it out loud still feels a bit surreal.

When Mike and I set up Sigma Connected back in 2011, we weren’t trying to build the biggest business in the room. We just wanted to build one that felt different. Something with a bit of heart to it. A place where doing the right thing for our people, our clients and their customers actually mattered day to day, not just in a slide deck.

We started small, as most businesses do. A handful of people, big ideas, and a fair bit of figuring things out as we went. Fast forward to today and we’re now a multiple-award winning BPO, with more than 5,000 people, supporting clients across multiple sectors and countries. It’s grown in ways I don’t think either of us could have imagined at the start.

A key moment in that journey came in 2016, when we were acquired by Digicall Group. That partnership has been hugely important for us. It gave us the backing and belief to expand into South Africa, something I was personally very passionate about, having previously set up a UK contact centre there earlier in my career.

And so began our Cape Town story. Ten years ago, we made an early call to invest there, before it became the established offshoring destination it is now. At the time, it felt like a bit of a leap. Looking back, it’s one of the best decisions we made, and we’ve been proud to play a part in positioning South Africa as a leading destination for both voice and non-voice customer operations.

What we’ve built there goes beyond a delivery location. It’s a proper extension of who we are. In 2022, we were the first BPO to open a contact centre in Mitchells Plain, where youth unemployment is incredibly high. In 2025, we did the same in Paarl. Today, more than 70% of our team comes from these communities. That matters to us. Creating opportunities, bringing jobs to where they’re needed, and seeing people build careers, not just roles.

That commitment has also extended beyond our own business. Our partnership with Shadow Careers has helped open up opportunities for hundreds of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. As a founding partner, it’s something we’re incredibly proud of. Working alongside Franco Cotumaccio, a great friend and someone who dedicated so much to creating opportunities for others, has been a privilege. His recent passing is deeply felt, but the impact he’s had, and the legacy he leaves behind, is something we will continue to carry forward.

The same thinking runs through everything we do. Being human centred has stayed constant through all the growth. It’s not a strapline we dust off for marketing. It shapes how we work, how we make decisions, and how we show up for each other and for our clients. It’s also reflected in how our people experience the business day to day, which is something we’re proud to see recognised. We’ve been named one of the best places to work in the UK by The Sunday Times for three consecutive years, from 2023 through to 2025.

The industry itself has changed a lot over the same period. The simpler, transactional stuff has largely been automated or pushed to self serve. What’s left are the conversations that really need care. Complex, sensitive, sometimes difficult moments where judgement and empathy make all the difference.

That’s where we’ve naturally found our place. Supporting those interactions, where getting it right actually matters.

AI is a big part of our story too, but probably not in the way people expect. We’re not interested in replacing people. We’re focused on giving them better tools. Real time support, clearer insight, quicker access to the right information. Things that help them do a better job for customers, not step away from them.

We’ve also stayed committed to how we bring the UK and South Africa together. Keeping strong sector expertise in the UK, closely aligned with our teams in Cape Town, means we can scale without losing the detail that matters. It’s that balance that keeps things consistent for our clients and their customers.

None of this happens in isolation. The clients we’ve worked with over the years, alongside our amazing people, have shaped who we are today – each playing a genuine part in getting us here. The partnerships, the shared challenges, the ambition to do things better. It’s all part of the story.

Fifteen years in, I’d say we’re proud of what’s been built. But more than that, it’s the people who’ve made it what it is. To our clients, thank you for your trust and for growing with us. To our people, past and present, you’re the reason this business is what it is today. And to our shareholders, thank you for backing the vision and helping us build a business we’re proud to be part of.

It still feels like we’re only just getting started.