The Guardian17 Jun 2026Market
Automatically composed with AI from the cited sources
Up to 200 UK call centre roles are being moved to South Africa, with 150 already shifted over the last 12–18 months and a further 50 due to follow through natural attrition, saving about £4m a year. The relocation was disclosed as AO World reported pre-tax profit up 145% to £50.5m, a £20m special shareholder payout, and a £8.5m year-on-year cost impact from changes to national insurance and the minimum wage. Total employee numbers fell by 340 to 2,800, while more than 100 roles handling complex queries remain in the UK.