Old Mutual Contact Centre Reviews South Africa 2026Employee Ratings & Honest Insider Opinions

Old Mutual Contact Centre offers a steady first step into the BPO world for Matric holders who want proper training and don’t mind starting at the lower end of the pay scale. The company runs accounts for its own insurance and investment products, so you deal with real financial queries rather than generic sales scripts. New starters usually spend the first four to six weeks in a classroom setting in Pinelands, Cape Town. You learn the systems, product rules, and how to handle calls without giving advice you’re not licensed for. If the role involves recommendations, you’ll also need to meet the FAIS Fit & Proper requirements, which means extra study on financial regulations. The training is structured and repetitive, which helps if you’re nervous about the work. Once you’re on the floor, most juniors handle inbound calls from existing customers checking balances, updating details, or querying claims. Shifts are fixed and include weekends on rotation. The environment is professional but high-volume; you’re measured on call quality and adherence to scripts. Pay starts around R8,000–R10,000 for the first few months and can rise to R15,000–R21,000 once you clear targets and gain experience. Team leaders are usually promoted from within, so the path to R18,000-plus is realistic within 18–24 months if you stay consistent. The skills you pick up—explaining financial products clearly, using multiple systems at once, and staying calm with frustrated callers—transfer well to banks or other insurers. Many people use the role as a bridge into back-office or advisory positions later. This is a good fit if you live in Cape Town, have your Matric, and are looking for your first full-time job with a recognisable company name on your CV. It suits people who prefer clear processes over fast-talking sales environments and can handle the lower starting salary while they learn.

— ShiftMate Editorial · Old Mutual Contact Centre worker

Old Mutual’s contact centre operations in South Africa sit at a middling 3.6 out of 5 on Glassdoor, with 63 % of reviewers saying they would recommend the company to a friend. For someone considering a BPO role handling policy queries, claims or sales, the picture is average rather than standout. The work is steady and the brand is known, yet many employees describe the day-to-day as repetitive and tightly monitored, with limited room to influence outcomes. Employees who stay longer than a year often mention structured induction programmes and product training as better than average for the sector. Some note that the company’s size gives access to medical aid and pension contributions that smaller contact centres do not match. A number of reviews also credit colleagues for creating a supportive atmosphere on the floor, especially during high-volume periods. Pay is described as competitive with other large insurers for entry-level positions, though not markedly higher than market rates. The most frequent complaints centre on middle management and performance pressure. Reviewers repeatedly mention rigid call-handling targets, short breaks and sudden schedule changes that clash with public transport or load-shedding realities in Gauteng and the Western Cape. Several posts flag inconsistent application of policies, with some team leaders seen as quick to issue warnings while others overlook the same behaviour. A recurring theme is that once you are in a contact-centre seat, movement into back-office or specialist roles is slower than advertised, leaving many staff feeling stuck after 18–24 months. Glassdoor salary data for the broader Old Mutual group shows mixed feedback on take-home pay; contact-centre staff typically report total packages between R9 000 and R14 000 a month including allowances, but overtime is not always paid at premium rates. Benefits such as study leave and employee banking discounts exist on paper, yet access often depends on manager discretion. Career progression inside the contact centre itself is limited; most promotions are lateral or require applying for corporate vacancies that favour internal candidates with degrees. If you need stable employment, are comfortable with scripted calls and value a recognised employer name on your CV, Old Mutual Contact Centre can be a reasonable short-term option. If you are looking for rapid advancement, flexible shifts or management that values input, the repeated Glassdoor themes of target pressure and slow internal mobility suggest you would be better off exploring other insurers or BPO providers.