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The Employment Equity Act amendments took effect on 1 January 2025. They let the Minister set five-year numerical targets for each sector, narrow the definition of a designated employer, and link state contracts to a valid Section 53 compliance certificate. BOTI’s EE training helps HR teams, EE committees and managers apply these changes. You can browse it with related courses under human resources, labour and employment equity training.
If your HR, legal and line-management teams still work from an EE plan written for the old framework, your organisation may be at risk. That can mean losing state contracts, enforcement action and fines linked to turnover. The training shows your people how to interpret the changes correctly and build an EE plan that holds up to Department of Employment and Labour scrutiny.
This is a practical, facilitator-led programme for your staff and teams. It runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue or live online.
The business problem this training solves
The amendments go beyond a small update. Key changes include:
- sector-specific numerical targets set by the Minister;
- removal of the rule that made smaller employers designated because of their annual turnover;
- access to government contracts tied to a valid EE compliance certificate.
Many employers still run EE plans written against the old framework.
The risk is concrete:
- Lost tenders. Without a Section 53 compliance certificate, your organisation cannot conclude contracts with organs of state.
- Financial penalties. The Act sets maximum fines of the greater of R1.5 million or a percentage of turnover, and these rise for repeat contraventions.
- Wasted effort. EE committees that misread the targets produce plans that fail at the first labour inspection.
This course closes that gap by turning the legislation into a compliance process your team can run. It pairs well with Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Fundamentals Training for the teams who manage your scorecard.
Who this training is for
This is a corporate programme for the people responsible for EE compliance inside your organisation:
- HR and Learning & Development managers
- Employment equity managers and EE committee members
- Transformation, B-BBEE and skills development officers
- Line and operations managers responsible for hiring and promotion decisions
- Business owners, executives and company secretaries accountable for compliance
It suits designated employers in every sector, including finance, mining, manufacturing, retail, logistics and professional services. BOTI already trains teams at organisations including Sasol, Glencore and the City of Johannesburg, so the content is pitched at the level South African corporate buyers expect.
What the course covers
The programme is modular, so we can weight it towards your sector and how mature your EE processes are.
| Module | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1. The amended Act in context | What changed on 1 January 2025 and why; the revised designated-employer definition |
| 2. Sectoral numerical targets | Reading the Minister’s five-year targets for your sector and the four upper occupational levels |
| 3. EE plans and analysis | Conducting a workforce analysis, setting numerical goals and drafting a compliant EE plan |
| 4. Reporting (EEA2 & EEA4) | Annual online reporting duties, deadlines and accurate data submission |
| 5. The Section 53 compliance certificate | Eligibility, the justifiable-grounds defence and what it means for state contracts |
| 6. Enforcement and penalties | DG reviews, labour-inspector powers, fines and how to build a defensible position |
| 7. Governance and the EE committee | Roles, consultation duties and running effective committee meetings |
During the workshop, delegates work through a workforce analysis, an EE plan review and a reporting calendar based on your own submission dates. You can also ask BOTI to help you set up these working documents for your EE committee.
Teams that want to strengthen the people-management side can add Effectively Manage Human Resources & Labour Relations or Labour Relations and Labour Law Fundamentals.
A note on accuracy: the course treats legal and financial content as general guidance, not formal legal advice. Where a specific dispute or DG review is under way, we point teams towards qualified counsel.
EE compliance and state contracts: the tender link
For employers that bid for public work, the EE compliance certificate is only one half of the procurement picture. Tender preference is scored under the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (PPPFA) and the Preferential Procurement Regulations, 2022. These use the 80/20 and 90/10 systems and award preference points against “specific goals”, such as ownership by historically disadvantaged individuals (by race, gender and disability) and RDP objectives, rather than a generic B-BBEE level.
The Public Procurement Act 28 of 2024 never came into force. On 17 September 2026 the Constitutional Court declared the whole Act invalid because Parliament did not allow reasonable public participation[1]. Public procurement therefore still runs under the PFMA, the MFMA, the PPPFA and the 2022 Regulations, and Parliament may pass a new procurement law in future.
The course flags where EE status and procurement scoring meet, so your bid and compliance teams do not work in isolation. For more on the tender side, read our guide to procurement compliance in South Africa. This is general guidance, not legal or financial advice.
Delivery formats
BOTI delivers this training in the format that suits your operation:
- In-house at your premises, anywhere in South Africa
- At BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg
- Live online for distributed and remote teams
Before delivery, we adapt the content to your sector’s numerical targets and your headcount profile. That way the workshop uses your real data rather than generic examples.
Accreditation
This Employment Equity Act amendments course is a practical, facilitator-led professional skills programme, not an accredited qualification. If you need an accredited route, BOTI is a QCTO-accredited Skills Development Provider. It also holds Services SETA accreditation (12582) for legacy qualifications still open for enrolment, such as the National Certificate: Generic Management. See all accredited programmes.
Funding and your skills development budget
EE training is part of workplace skills development, so it belongs in your training plan and budget.
- Skills Development Levy (SDL). The levy is 1% of the leviable amount (total remuneration). Employers whose leviable amount over the next 12 months will not exceed R500,000 are exempt[2]. See our skills development levy guide.
- SETA mandatory grant. Employers can claim back 20% of levies paid as a mandatory grant if they submit their Workplace Skills Plan and Annual Training Report by 30 April and their levies are up to date. Unclaimed mandatory grant money moves to discretionary funding by 15 August[3]. Read what a workplace skills plan is.
- B-BBEE skills development. Under the amended generic Codes, the skills development target is 6% of the leviable amount (not 6% of payroll). It is made up of 3.5% on learning programmes for black people and 2.5% on bursaries for black students at higher education institutions, plus a separate 0.3% target for black employees with disabilities[4]. Sector codes may differ. Whether a specific training spend counts depends on the Codes that apply to you and your verification, so BOTI does not promise points. See understanding B-BBEE skills development.
We can structure the engagement so it fits into your Workplace Skills Plan.
Ready to scope it? Request a quote and we will map the course to your sector targets and budget.
Why BOTI
- 450 courses and a team that delivers corporate training across many sectors
- Client base: Sasol, Glencore, the City of Johannesburg and others use BOTI to train their teams
- Tailored, not templated: each EE session is built around your sector’s targets and your workforce data
- Flexible delivery: in-house anywhere in South Africa, at our Sunningdale venue, or live online
- Practical outputs your EE committee can put to work straight away
- Credentials: QCTO-accredited Skills Development Provider and Level 1 B-BBEE contributor, rated 4.8 on Google from more than 770 reviews
Frequently asked questions
What changed in the Employment Equity Act amendments?
The Employment Equity Amendment Act took effect on 1 January 2025. It lets the Minister set five-year numerical targets for each sector, removes the rule that made smaller employers designated because of their annual turnover, and links state contracts to a valid Section 53 compliance certificate. BOTI’s training takes your team through each change and what it means for your EE plan.
Which employers are designated employers in South Africa?
Designated employers must prepare EE plans, report to the Department of Employment and Labour and meet the other duties in the Act. The amendments changed how the category is defined, so smaller employers that were designated only because of their turnover should check their status again. The training helps you confirm your status under the amended Act rather than the old rules.
How do we get an employment equity certificate of compliance?
Under Section 53, an employer that wants to contract with an organ of state needs a valid compliance certificate. Eligibility depends on meeting your sectoral targets or showing justifiable grounds for not meeting them, and on keeping your EE reporting up to date. The course covers the criteria and how to prepare your evidence. For a specific application or dispute, take legal advice.
Can EE training be funded from our skills development budget?
It can form part of your Workplace Skills Plan and your skills development spend. Whether it supports a SETA grant claim or counts on your B-BBEE scorecard depends on your SETA’s rules, the Codes that apply to you and your verification, so BOTI does not promise grants or points. We can help you align the training with your Workplace Skills Plan.
How is the training delivered?
The training runs in-house at your premises anywhere in South Africa, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online for remote teams. Before delivery, the content is adapted to your sector’s numerical targets and your workforce profile.
Book your Employment Equity Act amendments training
Help your HR, legal and management teams apply the amended Act before the next reporting and certificate deadlines. The course for this is Employment Equity Fundamentals Training, which we adapt to the amendments, your sector targets and your EE committee’s needs. Training runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online. Request a quote, or call BOTI on 011 882 8853 or email [email protected].
This course is not accredited. It is delivered as a professional skills programme, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
Sources
- Godongwana notes Constitutional Court judgment on Public Procurement Act – SAnews (South African Government News Agency), 18 September 2026.
- Skills Development Levy – South African Revenue Service (SARS), 2026.
- Mandatory Grants – Health and Welfare SETA (HWSETA), 2026.
- Codes of Good Practice on B-BBEE: Code Series 300, Statement 300 – Skills Development (Government Gazette 42496) – Department of Trade and Industry, 31 May 2019.