Abstract
In South Africa’s rapidly changing work environment, moulded by different industries such as health care, engineering, information technology (IT), and finance, employees are required not only to manage their emotions effectively, but also to adapt their careers proactively to sustain growth. The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and career growth, and to determine the moderating role of career agility in this relationship. Data were collected through a questionnaire administered to South African employees, resulting in a final sample of 395 participants. The study found that emotional intelligence has a statistically significant relationship with career growth and career agility among the participants, and that career agility was significantly related to career growth. By means of a moderation analysis, the study established that career agility does not moderate the relationship between emotional intelligence and career growth. Career agility, however, was found to be a significant predictor of career growth in this sample. South African organisations should encourage employee practices that enhance employees’ emotional intelligence and encourage career agility to support career growth in a changing job market and work environment.