Brief
South Africa’s board gender balance outpaces executive leadership for women
Data from the JSE 2025 Sustainability Report and PwC’s 2025 Directors Remuneration and Trends Report reveal a sharp drop in female representation beyond boardrooms.
By Felo News Desk · Published
According to Bizcommunity, women occupy 38% of board seats in South Africa’s JSE Top 40 companies but hold only 27% of executive positions, and just 8% of CEOs among the JSE Top 200, based on the JSE’s 2025 Sustainability Report and PwC’s 2025 Directors Remuneration and Trends Report.
What happened
The Johannesburg Stock Exchange’s 2025 Sustainability Report recorded that women’s board representation rose to 38% in the Top 40, up from 36% in 2024. Executive‑level representation increased from 23% to 27% over the same period. In the broader Top 200, PwC’s analysis found that women make up only 8% of CEOs, while female CFOs grew to 25% from 18% the previous year.
What the reports add
Bizcommunity notes that, by international standards, South Africa’s board gender balance exceeds the G20 average of 23%, with 33% of board seats in the top 100 JSE‑listed firms held by women. However, the same source highlights that the executive pipeline thins sharply: the proportion of women in chief executive roles remains markedly low, and even the rise in CFO representation, though notable, does not offset the overall scarcity of women in top‑executive authority.
What was said
Dr Shahiem Patel, cited in the article, described the board gains as “encouraging” but warned that the progress “thins so sharply when executive authority is at stake.” The piece attributes the quote to Patel without indicating a separate outlet.
How it came about
The data reflects ongoing gender‑diversity initiatives in South Africa, including annual Women’s Month events and corporate recognition programmes. Bizcommunity argues that while visibility and role‑model campaigns help, systemic organisational practices that develop, sponsor and promote talent remain insufficient for sustaining women’s advancement beyond the boardroom.
Key facts
- Women hold 38% of board seats in JSE Top 40 companies (2025) (bizcommunity.com)
- Women occupy 27% of executive positions in JSE Top 40 (2025) (bizcommunity.com)
- Only 8% of CEOs in JSE Top 200 are women (2025) (bizcommunity.com)
- Female CFOs represent 25% of the JSE Top 200 (2025) (bizcommunity.com)
- South Africa’s board gender share (33% in top 100) exceeds G20 average of 23% (bizcommunity.com)
Sources
- [1] bizcommunity.com — originally reported as “South Africa’s leadership pipeline is still failing women - Regent Business School”
