Taranaki-based businesswoman sets up Māori contact centre to help single mums

Wairua Pai Contact Centre owner Rohario Rangihaeata (right) with sister and call agent Ngahuia Jacobs. Photo / supplied

Taranaki-based businesswoman Rohario Rangihaeata says her new startup will help solo Māori māmā through flexible and home-based work.

“The idea is to uplift them, their household and their whānau. It’s about giving back to our community, being of service, and inspiring leadership within whānau through employment.”

Rohario, who is based in Hāwera, has launched Wairua Pai, a customer contact centre with a unique point of difference - it is Aotearoa’s only majority Māori-owned customer contact centre.

Rohario says Wairua Pai will instil Māori communication mannerisms into the service it offers and provide options for choosing someone local or who speaks te reo Māori.

“It’ll be a virtual contact centre throughout Aotearoa so kaimahi bring a local approach rather than someone offshore with no idea. We want our Māori employees to communicate the way they would with whānau over the phone.”

Having set up its business structure, Wairua Pai is now in the market to win its first contract before bringing employees onboard.

The new Wairua Pai business will operate from homes across the country and is formed from existing businesses Waha the Māori Creative Agency created 15 years ago and Unity4, the backend tech solution that has been around for 23 years.

Wairua Pai is one of 100 Māori businesses the Govenment’s Progressive Procurement Capability Uplift Programme plans to help this year with wraparound intensive support to prepare them for government contracting opportunities.

Te Puni Kōkiri and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s joint progressive procurement kaupapa aims to use the Government’s annual $51.5 billion buying power to help accelerate Māori businesses and provide wider social outcomes in communities.

Te Puni Kōkiri Progressive Procurement lead Kellee Koia says that Wairua Pai’s employment approach is an example of how Māori businesses make a positive impact.

“Wairua Pai has just started their capability uplift mentoring with Height Project Management where they will work on their business plan and articulating what they can offer government agencies and other clients. This includes bidding for their first government tender opportunity.”

The Capability Uplift Programme has already supported over 42 Māori businesses to secure government contracts worth a total of $10.8 million.

“Government agencies buy a range of goods and services ranging from roads to IT services. Pakihi Māori are hugely underrepresented in the procurement world, and we are making good headway in changing that,” says Kellee.