KELLY SEES GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES IN TOUGH MARKET

Johannesburg, 27 January 2009  -  While trading conditions are likely to remain challenging this year, the Kelly Group is confident that growth opportunities in its businesses will help offset any slowdown, chief executive Grenville Wilson says in the 2008 annual report published today.

The staffing and outsourcing services group posted a 24% increase to R159 million in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation for the year to September 2008 on revenue which rose by 12% to R2.2 billion.

Wilson says the continued use of advanced technology would underpin the development of new services and improve existing ones.  It would also enhance operating efficiencies, reduce overheads and control costs.

Key to this, he says, is the roll-out of the group’s digital strategy, which greatly expedites the process of matching candidates to jobs while streamlining back-office processes.  Other initiatives include the use of internet social networking platforms as a candidate acquisition channel.

Wilson also notes that the group has identified the ICT sector as a growth opportunity.  Its recent creation of a focused ICT division within the flagship Kelly brand and the acquisition of skills development and training specialist Torque IT were designed to support its increased penetration of this sector.

Other new business units established during the year, including GAP Executive Management Solutions and Paxsal K-Log, would also provide the group with additional revenue stream in the year ahead, he said.

Also in the annual report, chairman Moss Ngoasheng said the group was working with a number of industry and government bodies to help attract international business process outsourcing and call centre operations to South Africa.