Kenya is one of East Africa's leading business process outsourcing (BPO) hubs, home to large outsourced call centres like CCI Global, KenCall, iSON Xperiences and Techno Brain, alongside smaller specialist firms. Below is a 2026 list of the main call centre and BPO companies in Kenya, what they do, who they serve, and how to run your own contact centre instead of outsourcing.
Kenya's call centre industry has grown quickly on the back of a young, highly educated, English- and Swahili-speaking workforce, improved fibre connectivity, and government backing for tech-enabled services and BPO. Global brands now route customer service through Nairobi, and local firms have built world-class facilities to serve them. This guide lists the established players and explains the two paths open to a business that needs a call centre: outsource to one of these firms, or run your own with cloud contact-centre software.
Two different things get called a "call center", and it helps to separate them:
This list covers the outsourced firms first, then the in-house option, so you can decide which fits your budget and control needs.
| Company | Focus | Notable for |
|---|---|---|
| CCI Global (CCI Kenya) | Large-scale outsourced BPO | Kenya's largest call centre, a US$50m facility at Tatu City; 3,000+ agents serving telecoms, energy, e-commerce and leisure brands |
| KenCall | Inbound, outbound, back-office | Described as Kenya's first international contact centre, serving US, UK and Kenyan clients from Nairobi |
| iSON Xperiences | Inbound/outbound, digital care | In Kenya's contact-centre business since 2011; customer service, dealer help desk, retention and social media care |
| Techno Brain BPO/ITES | BPO and IT-enabled services | ISO 9001:2015 certified; call-centre management within a wider BPO and software group |
| Direct Channel (Kenya) | Outsourced telesales and support | Long-running outsourced contact-centre and telemarketing provider |
| Daproim Africa | Impact-sourcing BPO | Data and back-office BPO with an impact-sourcing model employing youth and students |
| Precision / specialist firms | Niche and mid-size support | Smaller outsourced teams serving specific verticals and campaigns |
Large in-house operations also run their own contact centres rather than outsourcing, including Safaricom, Kenya Airways, the major banks and government service lines. These are not for hire but show how central the contact centre is to Kenyan customer service.
*This list focuses on established, well-documented firms. New entrants appear regularly; directories such as ensun, GoodFirms and local business listings track a longer tail. Verify a firm's current status, size and services directly before engaging.*
Kenyan call centres handle a broad mix of work, both for local brands and as offshore/nearshore delivery for the UK, US and wider Africa:
A few factors keep Kenya near the top of Africa's BPO league:
The trade-off for a brand is control: outsourcing hands your customer conversations to a third party. That is why many Kenyan businesses now run their own contact centres instead.
Outsourced pricing is usually quoted per agent per month or per seat, and varies widely with volume, language, hours (business hours vs 24/7) and complexity. As a rough guide, outsourced seats in Kenya are commonly quoted in the low hundreds of US dollars per agent per month, before setup and technology fees. Running the same team in-house shifts the cost to salaries (a Kenyan agent's gross pay is typically a modest monthly figure, see our call centre agent salary guide) plus software. For many SMEs, in-house on cloud software is cheaper and keeps the customer relationship in-house.
| Factor | Outsource to a BPO | Run your own (cloud software) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup speed | Fast (they have staff and kit) | Fast with cloud software; you hire agents |
| Control of quality and brand | Lower (third-party agents) | Higher (your team, your scripts) |
| Cost model | Per seat, all-in | Salaries + software subscription |
| Best for | Large volume, surge, offshore delivery | SMEs and brands wanting control and data |
| Channels | Depends on the vendor | Voice, SMS, WhatsApp, USSD in one place |
If you decide to run your own, you no longer need a physical call-centre room or a PBX. Cloud contact-centre platforms give you local numbers, IVR menus, call routing, recording, an auto-dialer for outbound, AI agents and a single screen for voice, SMS, WhatsApp and USSD, billed monthly in KES.
Five practical steps:
Which is the largest call center in Kenya?
CCI Global's facility at Tatu City is described as Kenya's largest call centre, a US$50 million site with capacity for thousands of agents, serving international brands across telecoms, energy, e-commerce and leisure.
How many call centers are there in Kenya?
There is no official count, and the number changes as firms open and close. There are dozens of established outsourced BPO call centres plus a long tail of smaller firms and in-house contact centres run by banks, telcos and airlines. Directories like ensun and GoodFirms list the larger operators.
What is the difference between a call center and a BPO?
A call centre handles voice and, increasingly, chat and messaging interactions. BPO (business process outsourcing) is broader: it includes call centres plus back-office work like data entry, document processing, finance and moderation. Most Kenyan BPO firms run call centres as one of several services.
Is Kenya good for call center outsourcing?
Yes. Kenya offers a young, educated, English- and Swahili-speaking workforce, competitive costs, a European-overlapping time zone and strong connectivity, which is why global brands route customer service through Nairobi.
How much does it cost to run a call center in Kenya?
Outsourced seats are commonly quoted in the low hundreds of US dollars per agent per month. Running your own is salaries plus cloud software: a Kenyan platform like SautiDesk starts from KES 1,000 per user per month, or KES 3,000 on the Pro plan, per user, which is often cheaper for SMEs than outsourcing.
Can I run a call center without a physical office?
Yes. Cloud contact-centre software lets agents log in from anywhere with a browser and headset. You provision numbers, IVR and routing in software, so remote and hybrid call centres are now common in Kenya.
What software do Kenyan call centres use?
A mix of global suites and locally built platforms. Local, Africa-focused options include SautiDesk, Mteja and Resolv, which handle voice, SMS, WhatsApp and USSD and integrate with M-PESA and local telcos.
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