Premier Winde visits “heart” of Western Cape Government

Media Release: Premier Winde visits “heart” of Western Cape Government

Today Premier Alan Winde paid a visit to the Western Cape Government (WCG) Contact Centre to show his appreciation for the important work employees do for citizens of the province.

The centre is the “heart” of the provincial government, where residents are able to access information on a wide array of services. At the walk-in centre, at 7 Wale Street, people can engage with agents in-person to raise issues or get information on WCG-related services.

Abdulrahmaan Razack has been working as a call centre agent for 18 months. “I do this job to make a difference in citizens’ lives,” he said as the Premier toured the facility.

“We must always be accountable and responsive to our residents. Our citizens are at the centre of everything we do,” emphasised Premier Winde. He added, “Our contact centre is the heart and face of our government where citizens are able to have their issues and queries resolved. I see it as a vital component of the WCG’s frontline services offerings. We are always striving to do better and by interacting with citizens through our contact centre we can gauge our performance and demonstrate accountability.”

For the current financial year about 16 500 contacts are received each month. Since 2019 the centre has logged:

• 1 426 995 contacts;
• 1 045 213 tickets have been created;
• 1 010 829 tickets have been resolved;
• This is a 96.71% resolution rate.

In total 45 staff work at the centre. Agents can work remotely. This is helpful in some instances, such as during the recent mini-bus taxi strike, for those agents who were unable to go into the office but could still offer their services.

The Premier said, “Real innovation often comes from the coal face, from our employees who deal with residents and their issues daily.” Centre agent, Ngawethu Ndiki, said, “It is a way to give back to the community. We deal with a lot of transport, social development, education and housing queries. We work under pressure, but we are able to overcome challenges thanks to teamwork and the support of my colleagues.”

The Premier was told the job can be emotionally taxing, especially when agents receive calls related to crime. Team leaders are on hand to offer help. Debriefing is also offered to agents through the Western Cape Department of Social Development. “We are everything to some citizens who reach out to us: social workers, teachers,” remarked team leader Cindy Thomson at the main contact centre.

The Premier even put on a telephone headset and took a call. After logging the query, Cindy offered some advice on how he fared, “Try to keep the call time tighter, Premier.”

Contact Centre and Western Cape Government eCentre contact details:

Call: 0860 142 142
SMS : “Help” 079 769 1207
Please Call Me : 079 769 1207
Email: service@westerncape.gov.za

Social Media:

https://twitter.com/WesternCapeGov

www.facebook.com/WesternCapeGovernment

https://www.youtube.com/user/westerncapegov

https://www.linkedin.com/company/western-cape-government

To watch a video of the Premier’s visit:

Facebook: https://fb.watch/n07sq-oBil/?mibextid=cr9u03

Twitter: https://x.com/alanwinde/status/1701585195579605285?s=46&t=LRxZn7uOXIMWPsVmGEcU8w