BEE CHAMBER WELCOMES 2025 EMPLOYMENT EQUITY REGULATIONS
- BEE NEWS
- 3 hours ago
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Frik Boonzaaier | 23 April 2025
The BEE Chamber welcomes the Department of Employment and Labour’s release of the 2025 Employment Equity (EE) Regulations and sector-specific numerical targets on 14 April 2025, and says it's a step which is intended to more effectively address historical disparities experienced by designated groups (Black people, women and people with disabilities), by accelerating the pace of South African workforce transformation.
The 2025 EE Regulations introduce five-year numerical targets across 18 economic sectors including engineering; financial and insurance activities; mining and quarrying; information and communication, manufacturing and construction to ensure fair representation of designated groups. “These targets should be viewed as milestones to guide employers toward equitable representation,” explained Frik Boonzaaier, Human Capital Transformation Specialist, at The BEE Chamber.
He noted that some flexibility remains for designated employers, those with 50 or more employees, to set their own annual EE targets, provided they align with the five-year sectoral targets and Economically Active Population (EAP) statistics. “Finding this balance will ensure employers can tailor their strategies to their unique workforce dynamics while contributing to national transformation objectives. The BEE Chamber sees this as an opportunity for businesses to lead by example, integrating diversity into their growth strategies.”
“Since 1 January 2025, all small businesses with fewer than 50 employees, irrespective of their annual turnover, are exempt from Chapter III of the EE Act, and do not need to implement the duties of a designated employer (consultation, EE Plan, EE Reports, etc), a move designed to alleviate administrative burdens and to encourage job creation. However, these businesses must still comply with the anti-discrimination provisions under Chapter II. The BEE Chamber supports this exemption, noting it allows emerging enterprises to focus on growth while larger firms drive transformation at scale.”
“Compliance is further incentivised through the recent promulgation of Section 53 of the EE Amendment Act, which mandates a Certificate of Compliance, strongly linked to the Sectoral Targets, for designated employers that want to participate in state tenders. This measure ensures that only businesses committed to transformation can access public contracts, a critical step for sectors like construction that rely heavily on government projects.”
“The 2025 EE Regulations mark a significant stride toward a more representative economy. We urge businesses to view these targets as an opportunity to drive meaningful change. Many questions still exist regarding specifics of the implementation of the new Regulations. The BEE Chamber therefore encourages its clients to leverage its consultancy services to navigate these requirements seamlessly. The 2025 EE reporting season opens on 1 September 2025,” Boonzaaier concluded.
