{"id":821190,"date":"2025-04-16T12:54:49","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T10:54:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=821190"},"modified":"2025-04-16T13:48:28","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T11:48:28","slug":"new-bee-targets-for-businesses-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/trending\/821190\/new-bee-targets-for-businesses-in-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"New BEE targets for businesses in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Department of Employment and Labour has gazetted the new BEE sectoral targets for businesses in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The targets form part of the newly published Employment Equity Regulations, 2025, which have been gazetted, repealing the previous laws in force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The regulations set out specific racial and gender-based numerical targets for businesses across 18 industries in South Africa to achieve over the next five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It forms part of the government’s Broad Based Black Economic Empowernment and Affirmative Action goals, whereby it wants businesses to reflect the racial and gender demographics of the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While South Africa has had BEE and AA laws in full effect for decades, transformation has not been fast enough for the government’s liking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many top positions still do not reflect the black majority in the country, and the state now wants to force businesses to comply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the department, the targets have been implemented to ensure that there is “equitable representation of suitably qualified people from designated groups at all occupational levels in the workforce”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notably, the targets only apply to ‘designated employers’, which are those who employ more than 50 people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These employers are expected to set these targets as part of their Employment Equity plans and reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Designated employers must prepare and implement an EE Plan for the period from 1 September 2025 until 31 August 2030.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The department noted that the five-year targets are not intended to add up to 100% as they exclude white males with no disabilities and foreign nationals in the workforce profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, after five years, businesses in the accommodation and food service sector should have 56.7% of top management be from ‘designated groups’\u201438.1% of which should be female.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same industry should have 78.3% of senior management reflect these groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

84.7% of professional and middle-management positions and 95.9% of skilled technical employees should also reflect indivduals from designated groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Designated groups refers to black people (African, coloured and Indian), women and people with disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failure to comply with the regulations could see companies referred to the Labour Court and face fines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the department noted that designated employers will not incur penalties or any form of disadvantage if they show that there are reasonable grounds for not complying with the targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These “justifiable reasonable grounds” for not complying with the targets include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n