UCT’s five-year Employment Equity Plan

Dear colleagues

As proclaimed by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the amendments to the Employment Equity Act (EEA) of 1998 came into effect on 1 January 2025, giving rise to the Employment Equity Amendment Act of 2022. The accompanying regulations were published on 15 April 2025.

In alignment with the amended legislation and to ensure compliance, the University of Cape Town (UCT) has undertaken the following actions:

• prepared a new Employment Equity (EE) Plan and numerical targets to ensure alignment with the sectoral targets
• conducted an EE barrier analysis as part of the development of the new EE Plan and
• secured institutional approval of the revised EE Plan. Following consultation with all relevant stakeholders, the new EE Plan was approved by Council.

This five-year Employment Equity Plan will be implemented for the period 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2030. 

The review process of the guidance note has also been finalised following extensive stakeholder engagement, ensuring alignment with the amendments and their accompanying regulations. These enhancements aim to promote greater clarity, consistency and accountability in the implementation of UCT’s Employment Equity Plan and to reinforce the university’s commitment to meeting its statutory obligations under the Employment Equity Amendment Act of 2022. 

The Office for Inclusivity and Change (OIC) has been in contact with faculties and departments to confirm dates for training sessions on the new EE Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and the sectoral targets as contained in the new EE Plan. Your recruitment advisor and/or your human resources business partner will be able to assist you with the transition to the sectoral targets based on the status of the recruitment process.

Please note that the implementation date of the new SOP and sectoral targets is effective from the date of this communication. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Cecil Peters.

Sincerely

Professor Elelwani Ramugondo
Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Transformation, Student Affairs and Social Responsiveness