German Bertelsmann, Morocco’s Saham Merge Customer Service Business

German media and publishing group Bertelsmann has merged its customer service business with Morocco’s Saham, creating a new market leader in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Each will hold 50% of the new company branded as Arvato, which operates in 25 countries with 48,000 employees on its payroll offering services across the market for customer relations management (CRM).

“We are opening a new chapter for the Arvato CRM businesses. The new company would hold leading market positions in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East as well as a strong presence in the Americas and Asia,” said Thomas Rabe, Bertelsmann’s chairman and CEO.

The new partnership with Saham, a family-owned group with revenues of $1.4 billion last year, allows Bertelsmann to retain a share of that market, but without diverting investment from other areas.

Saham was founded in Casablanca in 1995 and has operations in 25 countries in Africa and the Middle East, including in real estate, healthcare, education and outsourcing.