EC3
EC3 is a South African BPO and contact centre outsourcing provider serving enterprise clients in telecom, finance, gaming, and retail from a 900-1,000 seat Umhlanga, Durban facility, combining human agent teams with applied AI tools for retention, sales, and CX.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersNatal, Brazil
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What EC3 does
EC3 is a privately held South African business process outsourcing (BPO) and contact centre operator headquartered in Umhlanga, Durban, founded in 2013 by Juan Volschenk. The company provides sales, customer retention and reactivation, CX and omnichannel support, debt collections, back-office and KYC, webchat, surveys, and white-label value-added products to enterprise clients in telecommunications, finance and fintech, gaming and iGaming, retail and e-commerce, and a growing set of adjacent verticals including solar and asset management. Primary end markets are the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia, served from a single 900-1,000 seat facility at 305 Umhlanga Rocks Drive. Reported outcomes include up to 50% cost savings versus in-house operations, 28% higher retention on a UK telco account, and 94% agent retention on client accounts against an industry average of approximately 68%.
The technology stack combines human agent teams with applied AI tools — real-time translation across all 11 official South African languages, sentiment analysis, knowledge-based AI chatbots, predictive analytics for staffing and demand, and automated voice messaging — positioned explicitly as augmentation of human capability rather than replacement. The company is owner-operated with no disclosed external funding and operates a four-stage CX methodology (Map, Measure, Improve, Empower) supported by an internal NextGen Academy leadership pipeline. Compliance posture includes Level 2 BBBEE certification, GDPR, POPIA, and PCI DSS, and the company holds the ContactCenterWorld Certified World Class designation from three consecutive global wins (2020-2022).
EC3's commercial model is a mix of per-seat and per-FTE managed services, subscription-based Webchat, usage-based Automated Voice Messaging, and revenue-share on white-label products. Pricing is quote-based and tailored, structured into pilot (8-29 agents), mid-market (30-99), and enterprise (100-250+) tiers with monthly to annual billing and volume discounts. GTM is sales-led, owner-operated, and direct-to-enterprise: discovery call, NDA, custom proposal within five business days, 4-6 week pilot, then scaling. Marketing combines thought leadership, organic social, ContactCenterWorld and CCMG award-circuit participation, and Clutch/The Manifest B2B listings.
EC3 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- EC3
- Legal name
- Ec Three (PTY) Ltd
- Website
- https://ec3.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- EC3 is a South African BPO and contact centre outsourcing provider serving enterprise clients in telecom, finance, gaming, and retail from a 900-1,000 seat Umhlanga, Durban facility, combining human agent teams with applied AI tools for retention, sales, and CX.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
EC3 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Contact Centre Outsourcing and Business Process Outsourcing Services
- NAICS
- Telephone Call Centers (56142), Telemarketing Bureaus and Other Contact Centers (561422)
- SIC
- Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Customer Service & Contact Center Operations (BPAAAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Billing, Payments & Account Administration Centers (BPAAAAAF)
Keywords
Where EC3 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Natal
- HQ country
- Brazil
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices2 records
Markets served
EC3 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- BPO Outsourcing Services: Full-service business process outsourcing including outbound sales, customer retention, CX and omnichannel support, debt collections, back-office and KYC. Priced per seat or FTE with volume-based pricing that scales with client growth.
- WebChat Services: Hybrid human+AI chat support delivered 24/7 with 15-second response times. Knowledge-based chatbot development for client websites.
- White-Label Value Added Products: Revenue-share model offering roadside assistance, screen protection, panic buttons and other products under client brands. Zero infrastructure required from clients.
- Automated Voice Messaging (AVM): Scalable outbound voice campaigns for notifications, reminders, and proactive customer communications on a per-campaign or usage basis.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Small Scale Pilot (8-29 agents) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Mid-Market (30-99 agents) |
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise (100-250+ agents) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
EC3 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
EC3 delivers outsourced contact centre and BPO services from its 900–1,000 seat Umhlanga, Durban facility to enterprise clients in telecom, finance, gaming, iGaming, retail, solar, and asset management. Offerings span outbound sales, customer retentions and reactivations, CX and omnichannel support, debt collections, back-office and KYC processing, AI-augmented webchat, automated voice messaging, customer surveys, and white-label value-added products, delivered by human agents supported by AI tools for real-time translation, sentiment analysis, and predictive analytics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Outbound Sales Trained sales agents who close deals across telecom, finance, gaming, and retail markets using high-conversion scripts, real-time coaching, and uncapped performance incentives, delivered to enterprise clients seeking offshore sales capacity.
- Customer Retentions & Reactivations Retention and reactivation specialists who recover lapsed accounts and extend customer lifetime value through empathy-driven conversations, with proven 20–30% renewal rate improvements, delivered to enterprise clients facing churn and ARPU pressure.
- Debt Collections Professional, compliant collections service that recovers revenue respectfully while protecting brand reputation, aligned with POPIA and GDPR standards, for finance, fintech, and telecom clients.
- CX & Omnichannel Support Multi-channel customer experience delivery across voice, email, chat, and social media, handled by agents trained as brand guardians, for enterprise clients seeking unified customer support.
- Back-Office & KYC Administrative support covering data entry, compliance checks, KYC verification, and other back-office operations with 100% quality auditing, delivered primarily to finance and regulated industry clients.
- Human + AI Webchat Hybrid AI/human chat support that responds within 15 seconds, combining knowledge-based AI chatbots for routine queries with human agents handling complex issues 24/7, sold on a subscription/recurring basis to enterprise clients.
- Automated Voice Messaging (AVM) Targeted, compliant outbound voice messaging campaigns for notifications, reminders, and proactive customer communications at scale, delivered on a per-campaign or usage basis.
- Surveys Customer satisfaction survey delivery via agent-offered and automated methods, supporting industries including motor retail, telecoms, electronics, political polling, NGO health, and vehicle tracking.
- White-Label Value Added Products (VAPs) White-label products including roadside assistance, screen protection, and panic buttons offered under the client's brand, with EC3 handling fulfillment and the client earning margin through a revenue-share model requiring zero infrastructure from clients.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 50% cost savings vs in-house operations
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use EC3
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
EC3 technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature6 records
EC3 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Mix TelematicscoreStrategic retention partnership agreement signed in Durban 2018 between Managing Director of Mix Telematics Gert Pretorius and Clint Waltman. First time in Mix Telematics' history to outsource a portion of business to an external provider. Testament to the faith a dual-listed company has in EC3's reputation. Long and successful partnership envisioned with win:win outcomes for both parties.
- Cell CcoreLong-term retention and service partnership since 2013. EC3 achieved highest conversion percentages among multiple service providers working with the client. Cell C executive noted EC3's exceptional results stem from 'personal relationship at a very senior level with each and every customer.' Partnership continues to deliver superior outcomes.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
EC3 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Startek: Global BPO providing omnichannel customer management and multilingual support for telecom, financial services, and retail. Comparable to EC3 on offshore delivery model and customer verticals.
- iQor: Global CX solutions provider offering voice, chat, and AI-augmented customer support across telecom, financial services, and gaming. Closely comparable to EC3 on BPO service model and target verticals.
- TELUS International: Customer experience and digital IT arm of TELUS delivering multilingual CX and AI-enhanced support across telecom, fintech, and digital commerce. Comparable to EC3 on AI-enhanced delivery model and regulated vertical mix.
- Concentrix: Global CX and BPO leader with hundreds of thousands of employees serving enterprise clients across telecom, fintech, and gaming. Directly comparable to EC3 across contact-center services, AI-enhanced CX delivery, and offshore operating model.
- TaskUs: Digital-native BPO specializing in content moderation, CX, and sales for tech-enabled brands across fintech, gaming, and e-commerce. Comparable to EC3 on AI-augmented agent positioning and overlapping verticals.
- Foundever: Global BPO created from the Sitel and IBEX combination, serving 150+ markets with multilingual CX, digital care, and AI-augmented support for telecom, fintech, and retail. Closely comparable to EC3 on offshore contact-center scale and verticals.
- TTEC: Global CX technology and services firm combining analytics, AI, and human agents for enterprise telecom, financial services, and retail clients. Comparable to EC3 on AI-augmented agent model and customer segment focus.
- Teleperformance: World's largest CX/BPO operator with 400,000+ employees delivering voice, digital, and AI-augmented customer management across telecom, banking, and gaming. Comparable to EC3 across service mix and verticals, though at materially larger scale.
- Transcom: Global CX/BPO with operations across the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific offering voice, chat, and AI-augmented support for telecom, retail, and finance. Comparable to EC3 across service mix, offshore delivery, and verticals.
Emerging players
- Helpware: Multi-region BPO and content moderation provider serving digital clients across gaming, retail, and software. Comparable to EC3 on AI-augmented service model, though at smaller scale and narrower vertical mix.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
EC3 social profiles
Digital presenceEC3 compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
EC3 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
EC3 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
EC3 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
EC3 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about EC3
What does EC3 do?
EC3 delivers outsourced contact centre and BPO services from its 900–1,000 seat Umhlanga, Durban facility to enterprise clients in telecom, finance, gaming, iGaming, retail, solar, and asset management. Offerings span outbound sales, customer retentions and reactivations, CX and omnichannel support, debt collections, back-office and KYC processing, AI-augmented webchat, automated voice messaging, customer surveys, and white-label value-added products, delivered by human agents supported by AI tools for real-time translation, sentiment analysis, and predictive analytics.
Is EC3 a public or private company?
EC3 is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was EC3 founded?
EC3 was founded in 2013. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is EC3 based?
EC3 is headquartered in Natal, Brazil, in the Latin America region.
How does EC3 make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. BPO Outsourcing Services are the primary driver. The others are webChat Services, white-Label Value Added Products and automated Voice Messaging (AVM).
Who are EC3's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Startek, iQor, TELUS International, Concentrix, TaskUs, Foundever, TTEC, Teleperformance and Transcom. Helpware is listed as an emerging player.
Does EC3 have an API?
No public API is recorded for EC3.
What industry is EC3 in?
EC3's product category is Contact Centre Outsourcing and Business Process Outsourcing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAAAAAA, General Customer Service & Contact Center Operations, with a secondary code of BPAAAAAF, Billing, Payments & Account Administration Centers. Its NAICS code is 56142 and its SIC code is 8744.