Understanding Sector Numerical Targets

What are sector numerical targets?

The 2025 Employment Equity regulations introduced sector-specific numerical targets for each occupational level. These are five-year goals set by the Minister for each economic sector, aimed at correcting under-representation of designated groups by 2030.

How they interact with your own targets

Your own plan still sets numerical targets per occupational level — but they must be measured against the sector targets for your industry. Where your workforce falls short of the sector benchmark at a given level, that gap becomes the focus of your affirmative-action measures.

Disability targets

There is also a single disability target that applies across the sector, expressed as a percentage of the total workforce. This is tracked separately from the per-level designated-group targets.

Staying on track

• Update your workforce profile regularly so progress is measured on current data.
• Review targets at quarterly EE committee meetings.
• Document the reasons for any gaps — reasonable justification matters during a labour inspection.

AutoEqui's target engine pulls the gazetted sector targets automatically and shows exactly where you stand. See how it works.