OPINION EDITORIAL
The opportunity is real The projection that South Africa will not achieve gender parity on boards until 2165 is not a verdict. It is a warning. It is based on current rates of change, and rates of change can change.
South Africa has the legal frameworks, the research base, and a growing cohort of highly capable women leaders who have already demonstrated what is possible. What organisations now need to provide is not more strategy language, but genuine structural commitment: measurable targets, real sponsorship, inclusive cultures, and leadership that is accountable for outcomes.
The business case is unambiguous – gender-diverse leadership organisations consistently outperform those without it. This is not charity. It is competitive advantage. The question is no longer whether to act, but how fast in moving from visible representation to the transfer of real authority. Until that happens, the 47 % figure will remain what it is now: impressive on paper, but woefully incomplete in practice. �
The business case is unambiguous – gender-diverse leadership organisations consistently outperform those without it.
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