Employment and Labour Minister, Nomakhosazana Meth said companies must move from slow progress to measurable outcomes, ensuring that women, and particularly African women, are equitably represented at all levels of decision-making.

Meth said South Africa has long placed employment equity at the heart of “our democratic project". She said that since the Employment Equity Act came into force more than two decades ago, the country has sought to break down the legacy of exclusion and ensure fair representation across workplaces.

The Minister was speaking today in Woodmead during the Women in Tech function organised by the Chinese-owned leading provider of global Information Technology Communication (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices company, Huawei.

She also remarks that it comes on the eve of the opening of the 2025 EE reporting cycle on 1 September 2025. In terms of the amendments to the EE Act, which came into operation on 1 January 2025, designated employers must prepare and implement an EE Plan for the period from 1 September 2025 until 31 August 2030.

Meth said despite commitment, the pace of transformation is still too slow. She cited the 2023 Employment Equity Report which showed that:

• Women make up 43% of the workforce but still hold less than 36% of top management positions.
• At the senior management level, women account for about 43%, but when you disaggregate further, African women remain the most underrepresented group, often occupying less than 15% of these senior roles.
• In the ICT sector specifically, women are underrepresented in technical and leadership roles, despite being increasingly present as consumers and end-users of digital technologies.
  
  “These numbers represent missed opportunities. Every qualified woman denied a place at the table is a loss to our economy, our innovation capacity, and our society. We must remember that women are not asking for favours. Women are demanding fairness — access to the same opportunities, recognition of their skills, and the removal of structural barriers that perpetuate inequality," Meth said.
  
  The Huawei event was held under the theme: “TecHERpreneur: Where Innovation Meets Ambition". Huawei South Africa's annual Women in Tech event is a premier platform dedicated to empowering women through cutting-edge technological insights and industry opportunities. Held in celebration of women's contributions to the digital economy, the event focuses on the intersection of innovation and inclusivity.
  
  Meth said as South Africa wind commemorations of Women's Month under the theme: “Building Resilient Economies for All" - this theme is both timely and urgent, because resilience is not built in isolation, it is built by including those who have historically been excluded, especially women and young people.
  
  “The world of work is undergoing a transformation unlike any in human history. We are living through the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where technologies like artificial intelligence, cloud computing, robotics, and 5G are reshaping industries, supply chains, and communities," she said.
  
  Meth said the World Economic Forum reports that by 2030, an estimated 85 million jobs may be displaced by automation, while 97 million new roles will emerge that are more digitally driven, more knowledge-intensive, and more globally connected.
  
  She said this was both a risk and an opportunity, “But the prize we must claim is to ensure that women are equipped, empowered, and positioned to lead in the digital economy. If women gain equal access to digital skills and digital work, the global economy could add an estimated $13 trillion to GDP by 2030. That is the scale of what is at stake".
  
  Minister Meth said the government places such emphasis on digital inclusion as economic inclusion, and it was for this reason that “every South African has access to digital infrastructure and skills is not a luxury; it is a necessity".
  
  “We have invested in broadband connectivity and spectrum allocation, we are driving the Presidential Digital and Future Skills Strategy, and through the Labour Activation Programme, we are actively supporting young people — including women — to access training in coding, data analytics, cyber-security, and renewable energy technologies.
  
  She said partnerships like the one celebrated with Huawei are critical. Meth said the settlement reached between DEL and Huawei included a commitment from Huawei to participate in a development programme aimed at addressing SA's digital and ICT skills gap.
  
  The Huawei Women in Tech Programme is a tangible investment in women's futures, she said this programme is focused deliberately on designated groups, including women and rural youth, ensuring that those who were historically excluded are now prioritised in the opportunities of the future.
  
  Department of Employment and Labour Acting Director General, Jacky Molisane said the organisation was intensifying its investment in skills pathways for young women in emerging industries, particularly in the digital economy, cloud technologies, Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing.
  
  Molisane said these efforts were anchored by the Presidential Youth Employment Initiatives. She said the department uses the Labour Activation Programme (LAP), an Unemployment Insurance Fund programme which funds and supports large-scale training and placement projects, prioritising young women and those from disadvantaged communities. Some of the partnership initiatives she said, include the SA Youth.mobi, a Presidential Youth Employment platform, which connects young people directly to opportunities, training, and support services, the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, a key partner linking young jobseekers to work readiness and sustainable employment, and the Government-Business Partnership co-chaired by Minister of Employment and Labour, Meth.
  
  “We are also embracing the platform and gig economy as part of South Africa's employment landscape. Digital platforms are breaking down barriers to entry, creating flexible income streams, and enabling youth and women-owned micro enterprises to participate in new markets from delivery services to online freelancing.
  
  “Our role is to ensure that these opportunities are fair, inclusive, and regulated to protect workers while promoting innovation and entrepreneurship. We are also advancing flexible, inclusive labour market policies that support women entrepreneurs and SMMEs, especially those balancing family and business responsibilities," Molisane said.
  
  Huawei Deputy CEO in SA, Charles Cheng, said the programme was another initiative to empower women into a career path in technology. He said the initiative supports a knowledge-based economy.
  
  Department of Communication Director General, Nonkqubela Jordan-Dyani said the programme provides for women to shape the digital future, help develop a competitive economy, and empower.
  
  For media enquiries, please contact:
  
  Teboho Thejane
  
  Departmental Spokesperson
  
  082 697 0694/ teboho.thejane@labour.gov.za
  
  -ENDS-
  
  Issued by: Department of Employment and Labour
  
   
  
   
  
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