2026 reporting period will be first year of assessment for all designated employers who submit reports
The 2026 reporting period will be first assessment for all designated employers who submit employment equity plan reports – thus giving employers a base from which to assess progress towards achieving employment equity in an employer’s workforce.
Department of Employment and Labour’s Employment Equity (EE) Directorate Director, Dr Ntsoaki Mamashela said following the enactment of EE amendments of 2022, which require employers to set five-year targets designated employers must be thorough in development and implementation of their EE transformation targets.
Dr Mamashela was delivering a presentation on key highlights of the 2026 Commission for Employment Equity (CEE) on issues of transformation in the workplaces. This was during the joint Department of Employment and Labour, CEE, and Commission for Employment Equity (CEE) advocacy on equity in workplaces held today (4 August 2026) at Coastlands Hotel in uMhlanga, the residential, commercial and resort town north of Durban.
According to the department designated employers (those employing more than fifty employees) are encouraged to apply for their Employment Equity Compliance Certificate immediately after submitting their Employment Equity Report.
However, Dr Mamashela cautioned that it will not be easy to get the certificate. She said the department will be thorough in its assessments of reports. She said there were still employers submitting invalid reports and doing the copy and paste.
According to Section 20 of EE Act designated employers are required to develop an Employment Equity Plan. The EE Amendments of 2022 requires employers to develop their own set targets.
The equity plan provides a template from which to achieve reasonable progress towards employment equity in that employer’s workforce.
The objectives need to be achieved for each year of the plan. The achievement or compliance to achievement of sector-specific numerical targets are also tied to access to State contracts.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Teboho Thejane
Departmental Spokesperson
082 697 0694
teboho.thejane@labour.gov.za
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