SA’s second largest cellphone operator has upped its SME amenities with the inauguration of an operational call centre dedicated to small businesses.

MTN announced the launch of an official SME contact centre, at Heron Place, in Cape Town, recently, following what it says was demand for specialised technical and client support by its SME customers.

According to MTN, the call centre, a 50-seater facility, currently consists of two teams and will continue to scale up operations during 2012 and over the coming year – “aligned with market demands”.

Eddie Moyce, customer service executive at MTN, says this is not only the operator’s fi rst call centre in Cape Town, but also the fi rst in SA to focus solely on serving the ICT requirements of its SME customers. “Earlier this year, we embarked on an extensive drive to recruit and up-skill suitably qualified technicians to be able to support the call centre effectively.”

MTN says, with an estimated 1.5 million SMEs in the country, representing 50% of SA’s GDP and roughly 60% of the workforce, it is critical that more corporate businesses take steps to grow the SME sector and mobilise the small business community.

Moyce says MTN has made a “substantial investment” in the call centre, and will continue to do so. MTN’s SME call centre can be reached by dialling 809.