In 2024, women made up 46.97% of South Africa’s labour force, according to the latest
World Bank data released in June 2025. Yet despite this near-equal representation,
women remain significantly underrepresented in leadership and management roles.
This disparity is evident among South Africa’s JSE Top 40 listed companies, where
women hold just 36% of board seats on average, well below gender parity, and occupy
only 23% of executive management positions, a figure that declined by two percentage
points, according to a Just Share briefing published on 30 th October 2024.
However, there’s growing pressure to close that gap. The Employment Equity
Amendment Act, which came into effect on 1 st January 2025, sets clear targets for
gender transformation at management level. But beyond compliance, there’s a strong
business case too. Studies show that companies with greater female leadership are
more innovative, more profitable, and better at retaining talent.
According to Serisha Sirputh, Director at LDM, a built environment consultancy firm, and
a vocal advocate for gender inclusion in the construction sector, real change starts from
within. “Empowerment isn’t an event. It’s a long-term commitment to creating
environments where women can grow, lead and thrive,” says Sirputh. “You can’t just
open the door though – you need to walk through it together.”
Sirputh shares five practical strategies for growing women from within, based on
successful approaches at LDM:
1. Identify and Develop Potential Early
Women shouldn’t be expected to wait for opportunities to prove themselves.
Managers are encouraged to go beyond performance metrics, recognising
potential and fostering it through structured support. The impact of giving
someone their first chance before they’re 100% ‘ready’ is when real growth
begins.
2. Put Women in Roles that Shape Outcomes
Growing women from within means giving them access to the roles that actually
move the needle. At LDM, six women have stepped into project management
roles – overseeing teams, timelines and delivery across multiple sites – while two
others serve on the board. It’s not about ticking a box. It’s about changing the
narrative of who leads.
3. Build Systems that Support Real Inclusion
From site safety to working hours, systems and structures can either unlock
potential or shut it down. Make small but meaningful changes, like adjusting shift
times and ensuring safe working environments, which have had a major impact
on retention at LDM. You can’t tell women to rise in a system that was never
designed with them in mind.
4. Build Confidence Through Expertise
Confidence doesn't always come before capability – it often comes after. By
running continuous technical upskilling and mentorship programmes for women
across departments, companies can help them build expertise first. And when
women deliver on complex tasks, it transforms the perceptions of everyone. This
capability-first approach allows confidence to develop naturally through proven
competence.
5. Tell their Stories
Celebrating women’s journeys inside your business sends a powerful message,
both internally and externally. So, share success stories regularly in team
meetings and even some company communication channels, thereby shifting the
narrative from exception to norm. Because every story you share is a signal to
someone else that this path is possible
“For LDM, growing women from within hasn’t been about one big policy shift, but many
small, deliberate actions over time,” notes Sirputh. “The results are already visible; in
team meetings, on building sites, and in a new generation of women stepping into
leadership. Change doesn’t just happen,” she concludes. “You have to build it.”
ENDS
WORD COUNT: 584
Sources:
https://tradingeconomics.com/south-africa/labor-force-female-percent-of-total-labor-force-wb-data.html
https://justshare.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/241030-JSE-Top-40-Women-in-Leadership.pdf
https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace
https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/leadership/women-in-the-boardroom
On Behalf of:
Serisha Sirputh
Director at LDM