UK businesses are fundamentally changing the way they evaluate global delivery locations, moving beyond traditional outsourcing models in favour of more resilient, diversified and future-ready operating strategies.
According to GBS.World, 63% of UK businesses are increasing multi-shore diversification strategies in 2026, while 34% are actively reducing their dependence on single-country delivery models. As resilience, digital capability, access to skilled talent and long-term competitiveness become increasingly important, a new generation of global delivery destinations is emerging to meet these evolving requirements.
The shift reflects a broader transformation within the global business services (GBS) industry. Geopolitical uncertainty, AI-driven transformation, changing workforce dynamics and growing pressure to build more resilient operating models are prompting executives to rethink where and how global services are delivered. Rather than concentrating operations in a handful of established locations, many UK businesses are building more diversified delivery networks that balance scale with resilience, specialist skills and long-term strategic value.
Drawing on Rwanda’s growing GBS ecosystem, the Rwanda GBS Growth Initiative (GBS GI) believes the country is well positioned to benefit from this shift. Rwanda combines a young, bilingual workforce with a stable and investor-friendly business environment rated B2 by Moody’s and B+ by Fitch and S&P ratings agencies. The country’s modern digital infrastructure and a rapidly growing ecosystem of international and domestic GBS providers make it an increasingly attractive destination for UK businesses seeking to diversify their global delivery footprint.
Over the past two decades, Rwanda has invested strategically in building the foundations required to support internationally competitive global services. From strengthening higher education and digital skills through leading universities and training institutions, including the University of Rwanda, African Leadership University, Rwanda Coding Academy and Carnegie Mellon University Africa, the country has deliberately positioned itself to compete in higher-value customer experience, technology and knowledge-based services. These investments increasingly align with the priorities UK executives are now identifying when evaluating new global delivery locations.
“For many years, the outsourcing conversation was dominated by cost. Today, it is increasingly about resilience, talent and long-term competitiveness. That shift creates an opportunity for countries like Rwanda that have invested consistently in people, digital infrastructure and an enabling business environment,” says Chantal Kayonga, Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda GBS Growth Initiative.
Rwanda’s GBS sector now comprises more than 40 international and domestic providers supported by a workforce of 4,705 (Q2 2026), with 79.2% of the workforce serving international markets. BPO remains the largest segment with 3,467 jobs, while IT Outsourcing accounts for 1,238 jobs. International companies including CCI Global, TeKnowledge, Vertland Africa, AmaliTech and others have established operations in Kigali, reflecting growing confidence in the country’s long-term potential.
These companies support clients across customer experience, IT services, business process outsourcing and knowledge-based services, demonstrating that Rwanda is already delivering sophisticated work for international markets. The country’s ranking of fifth in Africa for Customer Service and Support and third for Technical & Helpdesk Support in the 2024 GBS.World Competitiveness Index also provides an indicator of competitive service quality. Together with continued operator investment, this demonstrates a value proposition extending beyond labour cost to encompass talent quality, operational resilience and long-term scalability.
“Our experience in Rwanda has demonstrated that the country offers far more than competitive operating costs. We’ve found a highly capable workforce, a collaborative ecosystem and strong institutional support that have enabled us to build and scale our operations successfully,” says Christopher Chance, Senior Vice President for East Africa at CCI Global.
Rwanda’s growing competitiveness is underpinned by an addressable talent pool of over 535,000 young workers aged 18 to 35. As both a Commonwealth member and a Francophone nation, Rwanda also offers a bilingual English and French talent pool, supported by more than 400,000 bilingual English and French speakers. Combined with more than 7,000 kilometres of national fibre optic infrastructure, 96% nationwide 4G coverage, expanding 5G capability, Kigali Innovation City and a growing supply of Grade-A commercial office space, the country is continuing to strengthen its position as a future-ready global delivery destination.
Importantly, Rwanda is also working to ensure that this talent pipeline evolves alongside global demand. National digital priorities, universities, technical institutions and specialist training providers are increasingly being connected with employer requirements, creating a more demand-led skills ecosystem capable of adapting as AI, automation and other technologies reshape global service delivery.
“We are not asking businesses to replace established delivery locations. We are encouraging them to broaden the conversation and their strategic planning and consider how Rwanda can complement existing global delivery networks,” says Kayonga.
As global delivery strategies continue to evolve, Rwanda is positioning itself as a strategic partner for UK businesses looking to build more resilient, future-ready operating models. By combining a supportive investment environment with a growing digital economy, reliable infrastructure and an increasingly multi-talented workforce, the country is demonstrating that the next generation of global delivery destinations may look very different from those that dominated the past two decades.
