By Boudine van der Merwe | Manager of Human Resources at Ariston Global
Employment equity in 2025 is no longer a distant policy aspiration. With the amended Employment Equity Act having come into effect on 1 January 2025 and sector-specific targets now formally published, male-dominated industries are facing a turning point. ICT and rail transport, two sectors that shape the country’s economic future, also remain among the most stubborn when it comes to achieving gender balance. The targets create a new level of accountability, but they do not answer the practical question that employers are now wrestling with. How do we actually bring more women into environments that have been shaped for decades by overwhelmingly male workforces?
The ICT sector provides a useful lens. Global research from Deloitte shows that women occupy roughly 25% of technical roles in major technology companies. This mirrors the pipeline challenge identified by the World Bank, which reports that fewer than 40% of tertiary ICT graduates worldwide are women. Although South Africa has seen encouraging growth in the number of young women entering digital skills programmes, the progression into senior, specialised or leadership roles remains slow. Many ICT companies have an entry-level intake that is relatively balanced, yet the representation of women drops off quickly in software engineering, network architecture, cyber security and higher-level roles. This is where the real bottleneck sits.
The rail and transport sector faces even more significant structural challenges. South African labour statistics show that about 83% of the transport workforce is male, with women making up only around 18 to 19% of the sector. When looking at engineering, the gap widens further. Reports indicate that only 14% of registered engineers in South Africa are women. On a continental level, African rail operators report that female representation averages around 1%, and most of those positions are administrative rather than technical or operational. Very few women are found in signalling, maintenance, operational control rooms or senior decision-making roles. This is not simply a South African problem. It is a global pattern that has persisted for generations.
In transport, the safety element cannot be separated from the employment equity conversation. The Department of Transport, in its policy work linked to the National Strategic Plan on Gender Based Violence and Femicide, has repeatedly acknowledged that rail stations, depots and some public transport environments continue to be high-risk spaces for women. If young women do not feel safe travelling to work, working evening shifts or being present on a depot floor, then no recruitment campaign will deliver long-term results. Employers who underestimate the link between safety and participation are unlikely to attract or retain women in technical or operational roles, regardless of how many bursaries or learnerships they offer.
At the same time, the legal environment has become clearer and stricter. The amended Employment Equity Act gives the Minister of Employment and Labour the authority to determine numerical sector targets. Designated employers, defined as any company with 50 or more employees, must now align their five-year employment equity plans with these targets and must demonstrate annual progress. Failure to comply can result in penalties and may prevent a company from obtaining an employment equity compliance certificate. Without such a certificate, a business will increasingly be excluded from state contracts and other procurement opportunities. Transformation has shifted from a moral imperative to a competitive one.
The question for employers is what a meaningful response looks like. The first step is a detailed analysis of their own workforce data. Sector targets create an external benchmark, but the most valuable insights lie in understanding where women are entering the organisation and where they are exiting. In ICT, the most common point of attrition is mid-career, when women begin to choose between technical advancement and broader career stability. In rail and transport, the challenge starts even earlier. If artisan, operator and technical apprenticeships remain overwhelmingly male, it becomes almost impossible to build female representation at the supervisor or management level.
Safety must become part of the employment equity strategy. For transport employers, this includes better security at depots and stations, appropriate facilities for women, safe shift structures, reliable transport arrangements and firm action against harassment. In ICT, the safety concerns are different but still real. Women in customer-facing digital roles often face online harassment, and companies need clear policies to protect them.
The talent pipeline also needs a long-term view. UNESCO data shows that only about 13% of South African STEM graduates are women, which means that the pool of potential female engineers, technicians and ICT professionals is naturally smaller. Employers cannot rely on the market to correct this on its own. Companies that are serious about meeting their sector targets are beginning to work closely with universities and TVET colleges to co-design programmes that lead directly to employment. In ICT, this often includes targeted scholarships combined with structured internships in data engineering, cloud computing, cyber security or network operations. In rail, it includes apprenticeships in signalling, rolling stock maintenance, train operations and supervisory control.
Leadership commitment is also becoming a differentiator. Employment equity has been politically contested, partly because of the sectoral targets, but the business need for gender diversity is not ideological. ICT companies need diverse perspectives to manage cyber risks and accelerate innovation. Rail operators need a broader skills base to modernise infrastructure, improve operations and strengthen decision-making. In both sectors, the inclusion of women contributes to stronger governance, better safety cultures and more resilient teams.
Stereotypes and resultant prejudice during recruitment and selection is also a factor. Archaic views regarding female capability and traditional roles appear to create a barrier. Its imperative that the inherent requirements of jobs are identified and potential employees are given an equal opportunity to demonstrate their capability in fulfilling these requirements. Systemic prejudices need to be identified and eradicated for effective transformation. Theres is also a need to consider the benefits to be derived from certain non-traditional personality traits in the modern workforce. Is more of the same required or are there lost opportunities in not embracing diversity?
The next few years will reveal which organisations treat employment equity as a compliance hurdle and which use it as an opportunity to rebuild their pipelines. Companies that invest in female talent, strengthen safety, deepen partnerships with education providers and create real pathways for advancement are more likely to meet their targets. They are also more likely to emerge as stronger, more adaptable and more competitive businesses.
