Data shows 63.5% of employees are female, surpassing the state’s 50% equality benchmark
Most public servants in South Africa are women, the minister of public service and administration, Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi, has said in a parliamentary reply which provides a snapshot of the country’s public service workforce as of April 30 this year.
According to the figures, the public service employs more than 1.2 million people. Of these, 779,481 are women, accounting for 63.5% of the workforce. Buthelezi said the representation of women exceeds government’s employment equity target of 50%, particularly at senior management level.
The data also shows that young people make up a significant portion of the public service, with 293,930 employees classified as youth. Buthelezi said this forms part of government’s broader efforts to strengthen youth participation in state institutions.
However, the picture is less encouraging when it comes to employees with disabilities. While 14,626 public servants are persons with disabilities, they account for just 1.2% of the workforce. This remains well below the current employment equity target of 3% and far short of the newly announced goal of 7% representation by 2030.
”In the 2026 State of the Nation Address, particular emphasis was placed on ensuring that no one is left behind, including the decision to increase the employment equity target for persons with disabilities in the Public Service to 7% by 2030. This provides a clear national mandate for accelerated inclusion and measurable progress across departments,” Buthelezi said.
To drive the transformation agenda, Buthelezi’s department has issued Circular 19 of 2026, requiring departments to actively improve the representation of women, youth and persons with disabilities. Departments must identify gaps, implement targeted interventions and demonstrate measurable progress each year.
The department has also strengthened accountability by requiring transformation goals to be included in human resource plans, annual performance plans and the performance agreements of directors-general and senior managers.
Buthelezi added that several policies were introduced to support these efforts, including measures aimed at improving recruitment and retention of employees with disabilities, advancing gender equality and promoting women’s empowerment across the public service.
