What the law requires

Consult meaningfully

Sections 16–17

Consult with recognised trade unions, workplace forums or elected representatives on your analysis, Employment Equity Plan and ongoing monitoring/reporting.

Conduct an analysis

Section 19

Analyse employment policies, practices and your workforce profile to identify barriers and under-representation of designated groups.

Prepare an EE Plan

Section 20

Create a 1–5 year plan with objectives, numerical goals/targets, timelines, affirmative action measures, and monitoring & evaluation procedures.

Report to the DG

Sections 21–22

Submit EEA2 & EEA4 by the prescribed deadlines (frequency depends on size). Listed/public entities must publish a summary in their annual reports.

Assign & train responsibility

Sections 24–26

Appoint one or more senior managers to drive implementation; ensure appropriate training and direct accountability to top management.

Address pay gaps

Section 27

Identify and report income differentials (race & gender) and address unjustified disparities using the prescribed forms.

Prepare for DG reviews

Sections 43–44

The Director-General may assess compliance, request information and direct corrective steps. Keep documentation audit-ready.

State contracting

Section 53

To do business with the state, you must hold a valid certificate confirming compliance with the EE Act.

Penalties for non-compliance

Significant administrative fines apply for failures such as not consulting, not analysing, not implementing an EE Plan or not reporting. Repeat contraventions escalate the amounts and may include turnover-based thresholds.

See the fines table

This page is a practical summary. Always consult the Act, regulations and current government notices.

Next steps

Get your timeline right

Plan internal sign-offs 2–3 weeks before each reporting deadline.

View deadlines

Make it easy with Speccon

Capture data, draft your EE Plan, generate EEA2/EEA4 and assign training in one platform.

See the platform