Mainstreming black African women into managerial positions in the South African private sector : a critical analysis of transformative legislative interventions, challenges, and prospects

Abstract

The private sector in South Africa lags in proliferating black African women into managerial positions. This is so despite the Employment Equity Act (EEA) requiring that the private sector must ensure that all occupational levels are equitably represented and reflects the demographics of South Africa. Since the EEA, the private sector has been white male-dominated and white females enjoy preference in terms of recruitment compared to black African women. Despite the legislative gaps in South Africa, the South African private sector demonstrates its unwillingness to transform it's by managerial positions by engaging in race-based recruitment, failing to train and develop black African women within the workplace, failing to create pipeline mechanisms into managerial positions and creating a workplace environment that caters for the needs and interest of women at leadership levels. The progression of black African women requires South Africa to adopt a quota system that will result in the private sector being compelled to appoint suitably qualified black African women. The EEA does require the private sector to apply affirmative action measures to achieve equity in the workplace. It is submitted that since 1998 the private sector has been provided with an opportunity to set their targets to achieve equity, 20 years later black African women are excluded in key managerial positions. Some private sector companies engage in fronting practices to obtain a Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) certificate that enables the company to do business with the State. Black African women who are appointed as a ‘front’ do not obtain the necessary experience in managerial levels and as such limits their economic participation. Exposing black African women in managerial levels enhances their skills and increases their prospects to promotions and assuming further leadership roles in the private sector. Without a clear, a quota law in South Africa, the South African private sector would not be persuaded to accelerate the equitable representation at its managerial positions. xiii