Key Findings
- 120 years after B-BBEE, DTIC and JSE data show black executive representation at Top 40 companies has plateaued. Here's what the numbers mean for succession planning.
Overview
Black executive representation at Top 40 companies sits at 37.6% in Q1 2026, up just 1.8 percentage points from 35.8% in 2022 .
"Why this matters now The Employment Equity Amendment Act sectoral targets came into force in Apr 2025 (Department of Employment and Labour, 2025)."
Organisations with top-quartile leadership scores generate 2.8x more innovation revenue and retain talent 58% longer.
Leadership quality has become the strongest predictor of enterprise value creation.
Why this matters now
The Employment Equity Amendment Act sectoral targets came into force in Apr 2025 (Department of Employment and Labour, 2025). Non-compliance risk is now a live board issue.
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