Rewardsco, a leading South African BPO, has earned two national awards for utilising Artificial Intelligence to redefine industry standards.The BPO was recognised at the 2025 BPESA GBS Alchemy Awards in November in two categories – Top Technical Innovation Award and the Top Digital Solution & Transformation Operator of the Year Award.
The Top Technical Innovation Award was driven by Rewardsco’s Chief Technology Officer, Yashika Naicker, and Head of Infrastructure, Mohammed Rawat, who worked with the IT and Fraud & Forensics teams, along with Amazon Web Services (AWS), to develop an industry-first AI-powered bot for automated quality assurance, compliance and fraud detection. The platform redefines the service quality and customer experience by providing real-time feedback on how to improve.
The system applies advanced AI to optimise customer interactions, enhance agent performance, improve compliance and automate essential quality-checks across the business. “Unlike traditional QA, which is slow, sample based and retrospective, this solution delivers proactive, real-time, 100% coverage, positioning Rewardsco at the forefront of responsible AI in BPO,” Naicker said.
While AI has often been highlighted as a threat to the BPO sector, Naicker and her team chose to swim against the tide. “We choose to see AI-powered technology as a means to empower our people to imagine better, build smarter and lead boldly. This way, they don’t resist technology, they embrace it. They see AI not as a replacement, but as a partner that amplifies their potential and transforms how we deliver excellence,” she said.The Top Digital Solution & Transformation Operator of the Year Award recognised a project that set out to redefine how Rewardsco attracts, trains and develops its people.
It began when Chief Operating Officer Dwane Farquharson and Head of Sales Support, Paul Taylor asked one industry-defining question; “What if a contact centre wasn’t the end of the career line, but the beginning?”
That question inspired a complete reimagining of the agent journey, positioning contact centre roles as launchpads for broader careers in IT, HR, data, marketing and operations.
“The goal was not just digital uplift. It was to build a career-making machine, powered by AI, grounded in behavioural science and led by human values,” Farquharson said.
The project combines the best of human insight and cutting-edge technology. Taylor explained that the new system leverages AI, psychometrics, instructional design and digital tech to enhance how Rewardsco identifies and develops talent.
“What we can do now is amazing,” Taylor said. “It amplifies our humanity while using the best of digital innovation in one elegant solution.”
“Above all, I’m in awe of my superstars in the Recruitment and Training teams who’ve embraced change while continuing to work tirelessly to find, evaluate and nurture the potential in young South Africans. This award recognises all of them.”
Rewardsco is no stranger to innovation.
When the company opened its doors in 1996, its mission was to support and grow a first of its kind South African rewards programme in partnership with household names such as Pick n Pay, Engen and Absa. Five years later, the business evolved and branched into telecommunications. In the years since then Rewardsco has moved into the financial field and international waters, working with major US and UK brands across numerous industries. For Rawat, these accomplishments reflect the company’s culture of curiosity and collaboration. “It’s incredibly motivating to know that our efforts and ability to think outside the box were noticed and valued by peers and industry leaders,” he said. “Rewardsco has always been focused on being at the forefront of technological innovation.
This recognition is a celebration of what we can achieve together when we’re encouraged to be creative, take risks and support one another’s vision. I’m incredibly proud to be part of this team and excited for the future innovations we’ll bring to the table.”
Both awards highlight Rewardsco’s evolving role as a leader in South Africa’s GBS landscape – one that values technology not for its own sake, but for its ability to empower people and elevate customer experiences.
“Our people are our power,” Farquharson said. “When they grow, we grow and these awards are a celebration of that shared success.”