Challenges in the Era of Globalization - iaabd

Proceedings of the 12th Annual Conference © 2011 IAABD
According to the BWA 2010 Census, the steady increase in the number of women working in the
corporate world in South Africa has been tempered by a trickle of those making their way to top
corporate positions. The essential aspects of the census’ findings can be summarised as follows:
• There were only 15 women CEOs in 2010 (up from 13 in 2008 and 2009, and 8 in 2007) and 20
women chairpersons, representing only 10.5 per cent of the total (BWA, 2010: 12, 62; Ndhlovu and
Spring, 2009: 40). Of the absolute total number of CEOs, 10 were from JSE-listed companies (up
from 8 in 2009 and 7 in 2008 and 2007), while the remainder was made up from SOEs;
• Despite an absolute increase in women executive managers from 2, 761 in 2009 to 2, 827 in 2010
(compared to that of men whose numbers fell from 12, 078 in 2009 to 11, 832 in 2010), women still
constituted only 19.3 per cent of all executive managers (BWA, 2010: 11-12, 21-23, 41, 52; Ndhlovu
and Spring, 2009: 40). Most of the increases took place in Customer Services and Financials (BWA,
2010: 12, 54). Disappointing though these figures are, they are still higher than in Canada (16.9 per
cent), the US (13.5 per cent) and Australia (10.7 per cent) (BWA, 2010: 12, 52, 64). Of the absolute
number of women executive managers, 62 per cent are white (down 4.2 per cent) and 25.7 per cent
are black (BWA, 2010: 13; Ndhlovu and Spring, 2009: 41). It must also be noted that absolute
increases in numbers were largely accounted for by the inclusion of subsidiaries in the 2010 Census.
Patton (2010) is also concerned that executive pay in many South African companies is spiralling out
of control;
• Women directorships also increased from 7.1 per cent in 2004 to 14.3 per cent in 2008, 14.7 per cent
in 2009 to 16.6 per cent in 2010 (BWA, 2010: 11-12, 22, 24, 30; Ndhlovu and Spring, 2009: 40).
These figures are higher than in the US (15.2 per cent), Canada (13 per cent), the UK (12.2 per cent)
and Australia (8.3 per cent) (BWA, 2010: 52). Again the inclusion of subsidiaries has resulted in the
huge surge in absolute numbers, from 558 women directors in 2009 to 1, 056 in 2010 (as compared to
3, 366 men in 2009 and 5, 316 men in 2010). Most of this increase has taken place in the Technology,
Industrials and Resource industries which were previously the preserve of white men (BWA, 2010:
12, 54);
Since 2009, there has been a 2.4 per cent increase in women board members of JES-listed companies,
accompanied by a gradual fall in women board members of SOEs from 2008 (BWA, 2010: 32). The
picture is further complicated by the tendency for “Boards to recruit the same women into director
positions, a practice that needs to be rectified if more women are going to find their way into the
boardroom” (BWA, 2010: 24, 33, 43-44, Figure 1.1). Coloured, Indian and white women directors have
increased from 2009 (Figure 1.2; Ndhlovu and Spring, 2009: 41);
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