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BOTI runs practical call centre training courses for South African teams, and in Durban it delivers them in-house at your premises, from Umhlanga and the CBD to Pinetown. The core programme is the 2-day Call Centre and Customer Service Training course, and you can compare related options in BOTI’s sales, marketing and customer care courses.
Courses on this topic at BOTI today
- Call Centre and Customer Service Training (2 days)
- Customer Service Excellence and Complaint Handling Course (2 days)
- Handling a Difficult Customer Course (1 day)
At your offices anywhere in South Africa, live online or at a BOTI venue.
See all Sales, Marketing and Customer Care coursesGet a quote for your teamLearning on your own? Self-paced e-learning from R595 (excl. VAT) · Ask your employer to pay
Looking to train your customer service or call centre team in Durban? BOTI delivers in-house, on-site customer service and call centre training at your premises across Durban, so your whole team learns together without leaving the building. The content is built around your products and customers, so your people handle enquiries, complaints and calls with confidence.
This is practical, hands-on training for South African teams who deal with customers every day, whether face-to-face, on the phone, by email or on live chat.
Why Durban businesses invest in this training
Durban and the wider KwaZulu-Natal economy run on customer-facing work. The port supports a dense network of logistics, freight and clearing operations, all of which depend on responsive client service and call-handling teams. The province also has a large manufacturing base and a busy retail sector. Together these employ many frontline staff who are the voice of their company every day.
When those interactions go well, you keep customers and win referrals. When they go badly, you lose business in a market where buyers have options: a mishandled complaint, a dropped call or a slow response is enough. That is why Durban employers invest in structured customer service and call centre training for their staff. They include logistics, manufacturing, retail and financial services firms, as well as BPO and contact centre operations.
On-site training across Durban: Umhlanga, the CBD and Pinetown
Most Durban clients choose in-house, on-site delivery: a BOTI facilitator comes to your office, warehouse, store or contact centre and trains your team in your own space.
- Umhlanga and the Ridge: suits corporate offices, financial services, BPO and call centre operations in and around the Umhlanga business node.
- Durban CBD and the harbour precinct: convenient for logistics, freight, clearing, shipping and retail head offices near the port.
- Pinetown and the western corridor: suits manufacturing, distribution and industrial operations along the New Germany and Pinetown belt.
On-site training means your staff do not lose time commuting to a course. Each session is built around your real customers and scenarios: your products, your call scripts and your complaint types. BOTI can also deliver live online sessions for distributed teams, branch networks or staff working across several KZN sites.
Prefer not to host the training on your premises? Delegates can attend at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or join live online. Most Durban teams, though, find on-site training at their own premises the least disruptive option.
What the course teaches
The programme builds the core skills every customer-facing and call centre employee needs:
- Customer service fundamentals: understanding customer expectations, service standards and the cost of poor service.
- Communication skills: listening actively, asking questions and explaining clearly in person, on the phone and in writing.
- Telephone and call-handling technique: professional call openings and closings, hold and transfer etiquette, and controlling the call.
- Handling complaints and difficult customers: staying calm, de-escalating, and turning a frustrated caller into a retained customer.
- Email, live chat and written service: clear, professional, on-brand written responses.
- Call centre essentials: managing call volumes, quality, first-call resolution and customer satisfaction.
- Professional attitude and resilience: managing pressure and staying consistent across a busy shift.
Content is tailored to your sector, so a logistics clearing desk, a retail store team and an inbound contact centre each get relevant, realistic examples.
BOTI also runs related courses:
- Customer Service Excellence and Complaint Handling Course: for teams that need more depth on complaints.
- Handling a Difficult Customer Course: a focused 1-day session.
- Call Centre Management Course: for supervisors who run the floor.
Who it is for
This training is for any Durban team whose people deal with customers, including:
- Call centre and contact centre agents, inbound and outbound teams, and BPO staff
- Customer service, helpdesk and front-desk staff
- Logistics, freight and clearing client-service teams
- Retail floor and counter staff
- Branch, reception and admin staff who field customer enquiries
- Team leaders and supervisors who coach service standards
Groups can range from a single team to a whole department, and the session is scaled to suit.
Accreditation
BOTI is a QCTO-accredited Skills Development Provider and holds Services SETA accreditation 12582 for its legacy SETA qualifications. The customer service and call centre course itself is a practical, facilitator-led skills programme rather than a qualification. Delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
If you need a qualification for related roles, ask about BOTI’s accredited options when you request a quote. These include the Occupational Certificate: Office Administrator (SAQA ID 102161) and the National Certificate: Generic Management. BOTI will help you choose the right fit.
Last dates for new enrolments: for the Office Administrator occupational certificate (SAQA ID 102161), the last date for enrolment is 30 December 2026 and the last date for completion is 30 December 2029.[1] New learners must enrol before the enrolment date. The certificate ends in an External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA), and the QCTO issues the certificate.
Funding: Skills Development budget and B-BBEE
Many employers plan customer service and call centre training as part of their skills development spend. Some points to check:
- Skills Development Levy (SDL): employers pay the SDL at 1% of the leviable amount (total remuneration). Employers whose leviable amount over the next 12 months will not exceed R500,000 are exempt.[2]
- SETA mandatory grant: if you submit your Workplace Skills Plan and Annual Training Report by 30 April and your levies are up to date, your SETA pays back 20% of the levies you paid. Unclaimed mandatory grant money moves to discretionary funding by 15 August.[3] Planned training such as this course can be listed in your Workplace Skills Plan.
- B-BBEE skills development: under the amended generic Codes, the overall skills development target is 6% of the leviable amount. That is 3.5% on learning programmes for black people plus 2.5% on bursaries for black students at higher education institutions. There is also a 0.3% target for black employees with disabilities.[4] Sector codes may differ, and how spend is recognised depends on your verification.
BOTI can document the training to support your skills development records. This is general guidance, not financial or legal advice, so please confirm specifics with your skills development facilitator or B-BBEE adviser.
Book Durban in-house training
Ready to train your team? Request a quote for your Durban in-house customer service and call centre training. Tell BOTI your team size, your sector and your preferred location (Umhlanga, the CBD, Pinetown or anywhere across Durban), and you will receive a tailored proposal.
Call 011 882 8853 or request your quote online. You can also ask BOTI to help you benchmark your current service standards before training, so your team leaders know where to focus.
Related pages
- National pillar: Call Centre & Customer Service Training Course
- Same course, other cities: Customer Service & Call Centre Training in Johannesburg | Customer Service & Call Centre Training in Cape Town
- Get started: Request a quote
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find call centre training courses near me in Durban?
BOTI runs its call centre and customer service training in-house at your premises anywhere in Durban, including Umhlanga, the CBD and Pinetown. Delegates can also attend at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or join a live online session.
How long is the call centre training course and how many people can attend?
The Call Centre and Customer Service Training course runs over 2 days. BOTI trains groups from a single small team up to a full department, and the schedule can be planned around your shifts. For a shorter session on one topic, the Handling a Difficult Customer course runs for 1 day.
Is the call centre course accredited?
No. The Call Centre and Customer Service Training course is a practical, facilitator-led professional skills programme, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance. BOTI is a QCTO-accredited Skills Development Provider, so if you need a qualification for administrative staff, ask about the QCTO Occupational Certificate: Office Administrator.
Can the training be paid for from our Skills Development budget?
Many employers include customer service and call centre training in their Workplace Skills Plan and skills development spend. Whether it qualifies for a SETA grant or counts on your B-BBEE scorecard depends on your SETA and your verification agency, so confirm the details with your skills development facilitator or B-BBEE adviser.
Can you train BPO teams across several KZN sites or remotely?
Yes. As well as on-site delivery in Durban, BOTI runs live online sessions, which suit BPO operations, branch networks and staff spread across several KwaZulu-Natal locations.
To book the course this page is about, enquire about Call Centre and Customer Service Training. Call BOTI on 011 882 8853 or email [email protected]. Training runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online. This course is not accredited. It is delivered as a professional skills programme, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
Sources
- SAQA qualification record 102161 – SAQA, 2026.
- Skills Development Levy – South African Revenue Service (SARS), 2026.
- Mandatory Grants – Health and Welfare SETA (HWSETA), 2026.
- Codes of Good Practice on B-BBEE: Code Series 300, Statement 300 – Skills Development (Government Gazette 42496) – Department of Trade and Industry, 31 May 2019.