New, stricter BEE quotas in South Africa dictate that all workforces must, “reflect the racial, gender and disability makeup of the population.” This is as stipulated in the latest Employment Equity Amendment Act, which came into effect in 2025.
As such, the Department of Employment and Labour has been hosting workshops all around the country to get employers up to speed. Moreover, the department has warned that any South African businesses that don’t comply with the new BEE quotas will face censure.
STRICTER BEE QUOTAS FOR 2025
The Labour Department’s new BEE quotas come into effect in just 45 days’ time, on Monday 1 September 2025. Amendments to the Employment Equity Act require percentage-based quotas on businesses across 18 different sectors. And employers have five years (2030) to meet said targets.
Each businesses’ workforce should be made up certain percentages of ‘designated groups,’ reports BusinessTech. These groups are made up of: Black African, coloured, Indian, women and the disabled.
WHAT PERCENTAGES ARE WE LOOKING AT?
According to the Labour Department’s 2030 BEE quotas, all businesses employing more than 50 people are considered ‘designated employers’ under the new laws. As such, these businesses must have Employment Equity Plans that outline their five-year strategy.
Businesses with less than 50 employees are exempt from these stricter BEE quotas. However, several business groups are not happy and have banded together to challenge the stricter BEE quotas in court. They are unhappy with the following issues:
- Government failed to consult with public and private stakeholders.
- New sectoral targets differ greatly from previous versions.
- Quotas within the new BEE quotas are arbitrary and irrational
- No economic impact studies were conducted to determine the effect of these laws.
- The stricter BEE quotas laws are unconstitutional in that they go against the ideals of non-racialism, equality and justice.
DO YOU THINK THESE NEW BEE QUOTAS WILL HELP OR HINDER SA EMPLOYERS?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
