Take 2: Employment Equity Sectoral Targets Released For Public Comment Again

Following the amendments to the Employment Equity Act, 1998 ("EEA") enacted in April 2023, and an extremely contentious first round of public comment on the proposed sectoral targets shortly thereafter, the Department of Employment and Labour has released the proposed sectoral targets again in the form of Draft Regulations on the Proposed Numerical Sectoral Targets ("Draft Regulations").

There are some key changes to the sectoral targets, including overall targets for the designated groups (instead of specific allocations for each individual race group) and guidance on the manner in which the 5-year targets are to be implemented. These changes, at least, address some of the fundamental concerns raised in the previous public submissions. As promised, the Draft Regulations also include the terms of the agreement reached between the Department of Employment and Labour and the trade union, Solidarity, in settling the International Labour Organisation complaint that