Draft Reviewed Code of Good Practice on Employment Equity Plans Published for Comment

Posted 18 August 2026 Written by Acts Online
Category Labour

Brought to you by SA Accounting Academy: The Department of Employment and Labour has issued the Draft Reviewed Code of Good Practice on the Preparation, Implementation and Monitoring of the Employment Equity (EE) Plan for public comment.

Published under Government Notice 7719 in Government Gazette No. 55046, the draft Code is issued in terms of section 54 of the Employment Equity Act, No. 55 of 1998 (EEA). Once finalised, this instrument will replace the operative 2017 Code of Good Practice and aligns corporate compliance frameworks with statutory shifts enacted under the Employment Equity Amendment Act, No. 4 of 2022.

The Code provides operational guidance strictly to designated employers required to prepare, implement, and monitor affirmative action measures. Key focal areas of the revised draft instrument include:

  • Harmonising internal EE planning methodologies with designated employer thresholds and sector-specific numerical targets.
  • Clarifying procedural requirements for mandatory workforce analysis, barrier identification, and affirmative action measures.
  • Setting standard practices for meaningful stakeholder consultation with workplace employment equity committees and representative trade unions.
  • Establishing benchmark protocols for the annual monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of progress against multi-year EE Plans.

The Draft Code is not yet binding law. Interested parties and stakeholders are invited to submit written representations and public comments by no later than 22 September 2026.

Click here to download Government Gazette Notice No. 7719.

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: Review the draft procedural guidelines to understand the evolving regulatory standards governing workplace profile analysis, barrier identification, and EE reporting.
  • For your business: Benchmark existing EE committee structures, consultation processes, and multi-year affirmative action targets against the proposed Code to identify internal adjustment requirements ahead of final promulgation.
  • For your clients: Notify designated employer clients of the draft framework and assist them in preparing commentary before the 22 September 2026 submission deadline.

Originally published at https://accountingacademy.co.za/news/read/draft-reviewed-code-of-good-practice-on-the-preparation-and-implementation-of-the-employment-equity-plan

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