Employment Equity Sectoral Targets 2025 The Department of Employment and Labour is embarking on its final round of stakeholder consultations regarding the Ministerial Sectoral Targets, scheduled from February 11-19, 2025. These virtual consultations mark a crucial milestone in South Africa's journey toward workplace equity and transformation, with new targets set to be implemented in Q2 2025 and extending through 2030.
Key Changes and Implications
The most notable change in the 2025 proposals is the universal increase in targets across sectors, particularly:
The persons with disabilities target has increased from 2% to 3% across all sectors
Significant increases in female representation targets, especially at senior levels
Higher overall designated group representation requirements at all management levels
Compliance Requirements and Implications
Designated employers must achieve these targets by 2030 or face potential economic and legal penalties. Justifiable reasons for non-achievement include:
Lack of recruitment or promotion opportunities
Mergers, acquisitions, and transfers
Court orders
Business circumstances
Recommendations for Employers
Begin strategic workforce planning immediately
Develop comprehensive training and development programs
Implement robust monitoring and reporting systems
Review recruitment and promotion policies
Consider succession planning with transformation goals in mind
Sectoral Target Trends
The table below shows the consolidated average percentage changes across the sectors for each management level, based on the difference between the 2024 and 2025 targets published by the Department.
Management Level | 2024 Average | 2025 Average | Average Change |
Top Management | 46.1% | 57.0% | +10.9% |
Senior Management | 55.5% | 72.2% | +16.7% |
Middle Management | 72.2% | 84.7% | +12.5% |
Junior Management | 85.7% | 93.0% | +7.3% |
Notable observations:
The largest average increase is in Senior Management (+16.7%)
Junior Management starts highest and remains highest but shows the smallest change
The gap between top and junior management levels is narrowing but remains significant
Next Steps
Stakeholders will probably have a final opportunity to submit feedback following the Department's engagements. The new five-year dispensation is scheduled to commence in Q2 2025, with targets to be achieved by 2030. Designated employers will have between April 2025 and 1 September 2025 to ensure full alignment with all the EE Amendment Act changes. This will include revisiting and capacitating the EE committee, revising its constitution, reissuing the EEA1 given the changes to the definition of persons with disabilities, conducting a fresh EE analysis, and drafting a 5-year plan. Further to this, designated employers would be well advised to implement stringent deviation protocols as well as to conduct awareness creation sessions that include harassment awareness, as certificates of compliance can also be forfeited if the designated employer is found wanting on any form of unfair discrimination.
Contact us to assist you in implementing these sectoral targets: info@globalbusiness.co.za.
Subjects like the EE Sectoral Targets will be on the agenda at our must-attend Annual Employment Conference (#AEC25) on the 19th of March 2025. Join Thembi Chagonda (Employment Equity Commissioner), John Botha (previous Employment Equity Commissioner), Johnny Goldberg (one NEDLAC), Craig Kirchmann (Labour Law Expert), Dr. Mark Bussin, and many more speakers at the conference. Set your organisation up for success in 2025 and register today! (Register here: https://globalretailoutlet.co.za/showevent/73)
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