BMW South Africa plans to create more jobs to expand its IT operations – the SAP Shared Services Centre and IT Operations Centre which serve the global BMW Group. By Staff Writer
The German car manufacturer plans to expand its IT operations in South Africa to 600 jobs by 2017.
The manufacturer said an impressive track record of over 130 viable projects, implemented globally, adds to the growing importance of BMW Group IT in the quest to shape the mobility of the future.
South African software engineers are unique in the world
The South African SAP Shared Services Centre and IT Operations Centre are one of only two specialist hubs for the BMW Group, supporting operations in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia/Pacific.
An investment into locating the centre in South Africa reaffirms the BMW Group’s confidence in the quality of work of local IT professionals.
Tim Abbott, Chief Executive Officer BMW Group South Africa, Sub-Sahara, says that, unlike other markets in the world, South African SAP skills are unique in terms of multi-skilling, as the vast majority of SAP configurators are also SAP software developers.
Top skilled professionals developed with international experience
The SAP Shared Services Centre has already created over 200 specialist jobs between 2014 and 2016, with targets for further growth to 320 by 2017.
In addition, the IT Operations Centre employs 200 people and will grow to 300 by 2017, supporting a growing number of critical IT Systems for BMW around the world.
Both IT centres provide employees with the opportunity to develop their skills locally and on international assignments.
“In our quest to influence the future of mobility, the skills and inventiveness of our people are what gives us the edge. The SAP Shared Service Centre and IT Operations Centre are excellent examples of this passion in action, supporting the BMW Group’s future digital technologies,” Abbott adds.
The Centre also participates in the SAP Skills for Africa initiative, empowering six young graduates from rural areas and previously disadvantaged backgrounds with on-the-job experience. Graduates are employed by BMW South Africa on a contract basis for the duration of the development programme.
Abbott concludes: “We will continue to prioritise opportunities for job creation and skills development at BMW South Africa into the future.”