The Minister of Employment and Labour, Ms. Nomakhosazana Meth, hereby reminds companies on the commencement date of the 2025 Employment Equity (EE) reporting cycle, which commences today, 1 September 2025 and closes on 15 January 2026.
Designated employers (i.e. those that employ 50 and more employees) are reminded to submit their Employment Equity (EE) reports from 1 September 2025 to 1 October 2025, for manual submission. However, employers who will submit via online submission must do so between 1 September 2025 and 15 January 2026 (midnight).
All designated employers are required to align their EE Plans with the current EE Sector targets that were published on Government Gazette number 52515 of 15 April 2025, before submission of 2025 EE reports. The compliance of the designated employers will be assessed against their annual EE targets set towards meeting the relevant five-year sectoral numerical EE targets. Compliance with the published regulations is not only a legal obligation but a moral imperative in building a more inclusive economy.
The Employment Equity Amendment Act, No. 4 of 2022, came into effect from 1 January 2025. Subsequently, two sets of the EE Regulations on EE reporting forms and other EE templates; and the five-year sector EE targets for the 18 economic sectors, were published on 15 April 2025, to provide guidelines to employers and employees on how to interpret and implement the recent EE amendments and sector EE targets.
Following the enactment of amendments to the EE Act – designated employers must prepare and implement an EE Plan for the period from 1 September 2025 until 31 August 2030.
Companies are reminded that numerical goals are set by the designated employers and must therefore submit their reports against their set targets.
It must be noted that the Department in preparation for the 2025 EE reporting season, between May and July 2025, conducted joint EE advocacy workshops with the Commission for Employment Equity (CEE), as well as the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) – in which employers and employees were engaged on amended EE Act and also guided on how to accurately report their compliance with EE legislation.
The EE national workshops were held under the theme: “Bridging the Equity Gap Through Diversity & Inclusion.”
The key objectives and implications of the EE Amendment Act, 2022 are as follows:
- To empower the Minister to regulate sector specific EE numerical targets in order to ensure the equitable representation of suitably qualified people from the designated groups;
- To promulgate section 53 of the EEA for the issuing of the EE Compliance Certificate as a prerequisite for access to state contracts and doing business with any organ of state; and
- To lessen the administrative requirements on small business employers who have between 1 and 49 employees, to enable them to focus on growing their business and create jobs. These employers will no longer have to comply with Chapter three of the EE Act in relation to the submission of EE reports and plans.
According to the 25th Commission for Employment Equity (CEE) Annual Report, in the 2024 EE reporting season, there were 29 269 quality EE reports that were submitted covering 7 699 665 employees, which reflects an increase of 4.5% reports received and an increase of 4.3% employees covered for 2024 EE reporting period.
Minister Meth has impressed upon employers to submit their EE reports within the stipulated timeframes.
“We want to encourage all employers to adhere to the deadlines and submit their 2025 EE reports. The Employment Equity amendments aim to promote and protect the Constitutional right of equality and the exercise of true democracy for black people (Africans, Coloureds and Indians), women of all race groups, as well as people with disabilities irrespective of their race and gender,” says Minister Meth.
For more information, employers are encouraged to visit the departmental website: www.labour.gov.za and go to Online services then EE Online to access EE Online reporting facility.
ENDS//
Media enquiries:
Ms. Thobeka Magcai, Ministry Spokesperson. Email: Thobeka.Magcai@labour.gov.za | Mobile: 072 737 2205
Or
Mr. Teboho Thejane, Departmental Spokesperson. Email: teboho.thejane@labour.gov.za 082 697 0694
Issued by:
MINISTRY OF EMPLOYMENT AND LABOUR
DATE: 1 September 2025