47.3% of senior management roles in South Africa are held by women. The global average is 32.9%. South Africa is also one of the few countries in the world where zero businesses report all-male senior management teams.
That is not just a number worth celebrating. It is a position of global leadership that puts South Africa ahead of every major economy on one of the most important measures of workplace transformation.
But celebration without honesty is not progress. Women hold 38% of JSE board seats, and CEO appointments remain overwhelmingly male. The pipeline is building. The ceiling at the very top has not moved fast enough.
1. South Africa Is Outpacing the World
The Grant Thornton Women in Business Report 2026 confirms what many in the local business community have observed for years. South Africa is not following global trends in women in leadership. It is setting them.
At 47.3%, the country sits nearly 15 percentage points above the global average. It is also one of the few markets worldwide where no businesses surveyed reported having all-male senior management teams. This is a structural shift, not a temporary spike.
2. The Gap Between Senior Management and the C-Suite
Despite strong representation at senior management level, the numbers thin sharply at the very top. Women hold 38% of JSE board seats, a figure that has grown steadily but still leaves the majority of board composition in male hands. At CEO level, the gap is even wider.
This matters because visibility at the top signals what is possible for the pipeline below. When senior management is diverse but the C-suite is not, the message to the next generation of women leaders is incomplete.
3. Why Representation at Leadership Level Drives Results
The business case for women in senior management is well documented. Diverse leadership teams make better decisions, access wider talent pools, and reflect the markets they serve. When women lead, organisational performance improves. Not because of optics, but because of perspective, rigour, and a broader understanding of what stakeholders actually need.
Companies that invest in women at leadership level are not doing so for compliance. They are doing so because the evidence consistently shows it delivers stronger outcomes.
4. Celebration and Accountability Must Exist Together
South Africa has earned its position at the top of the global rankings. That deserves recognition. But the ranking also comes with a responsibility to keep pushing where progress has stalled.
The next frontier is not just more women in senior management. It is more women in CEO roles, more women chairing boards, and more women making decisions at the highest level of business strategy.
At The Skills Mine, we see the impact of women in leadership every day. We place exceptional talent into roles where they do not just fill seats. They shape strategy, drive performance and build stronger organisations. This Women’s Month, we celebrate how far South Africa has come while staying focused on how far we still need to go.
Source: Grant Thornton Women in Business Report 2026
