Abstract
South Africa has a history of gender inequality in the corporate sector where women are
discriminated against in appointments and wages and where corporate cultures hinder women’s
career progression. Gender disparity in the workplace has been addressed by post-apartheid
measures such as the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) policy. Despite
this enabling legislation, women’s advancement in the workplace continues to lag behind that
of their male counterparts. Limited research has been conducted on the role that black women
leaders play in advancing women’s position and status in the workplace within the BBBEE
policy and legislative framework. This study therefore aimed to fill this knowledge gap. The
research deployed a qualitative research design and methodology. The sample consisted of ten
black women executives in the technology/ICT sector. The participants were purposively
selected for their ability to provide insights that could fill a knowledge gap in the role played
by black women leaders in empowering other women in the workplace. The major themes
emerging from the study were as follows. Firstly, BBBEE creates inclusive opportunities in the
workplace, which was not the case before democracy. Secondly, women leaders identified
personal characteristics that female leaders should possess to be successful, such as assertive,
an ability to work hard, a willingness to learn and to be self-reflective. A third finding is that
the success of the BBBEE policy framework appears to be dependent on company support for
the advancement of women leaders. The fourth finding is what women termed the “lift as you
rise phenomenon”, where women in higher ranks in companies provide support and mentoring
to women in junior roles to facilitate their career progression. The last finding relates to the
importance of work – life balance. Participants highlighted the importance of balancing their
work and domestic roles to have successful careers while also being successful parents and/or
spouses. The study concluded that there is progress in advancing women to leadership positions,
but this progress is slow as women continue to be under-represented in leadership roles in
private companies. Therefore, technology companies and corporates in general are encouraged
to address the challenges faced by women such as a lack of skills and gender inequality in
leadership positions needs to be addressed as a strategic company priority. Recommendations
include that companies initiate and drive transformation strategies that advance women’s
careers in leadership roles.
Keywords: Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE), Women Empowerment,
Gender Inequality, Information and Communications Technology (ICT).