There is an urgent need for adaptive leadership and proactive strategies in response to emerging market trends across talent, technology, and geopolitics.
This is according to the latest report from management consultants Oliver Wyman titled “CEO Agenda 2025”, based on a survey of 165 CEOs from publicly-listed companies. The report is further supported by the Oliver Wyman Forum’s 2025 quarterly surveys of employees and consumers across 17 countries, alongside extensive secondary research and executive interviews.
These global findings are particularly relevant for South African business leaders navigating an equally dynamic and challenging local market.
From load shedding and logistics bottlenecks to regulatory complexity and shifting global alliances, South African CEOs are no strangers to navigating uncertainty. The report serves as a vital compass, surfacing global trends – from talent strategy to AI adoption – that are already playing out with unique urgency and intensity in boardrooms across the country. It offers actionable insights to not just survive, but thrive, amidst persistent volatility.
Global disruption, local pressure
The report reveals a significant rise in geopolitical concerns among global business leaders. An overwhelming 89% of CEOs now consider geopolitics, trade policies, tariffs, and industrial regulations as key risks to their organisations – a 20 percentage point increase from 2024.
This shift highlights the growing importance of understanding global power dynamics, supply chain vulnerabilities, and regulatory divergence. For South African businesses with international exposure – particularly in mining, manufacturing, and agriculture – these pressures are familiar yet intensifying. The implications of shifting global trade agreements, the evolving dynamics within BRICS alliances, and persistent currency volatility mean South African leaders must not only remain acutely aware of both local and international power dynamics, but also proactively shape their strategies to mitigate risks and unlock new markets.
To mitigate these risks, CEOs are prioritising the development of agile, diversified supply chains and a deeper comprehension of policy shifts affecting sourcing, production, and market access.
Countries making significant investment in infrastructure and a competitive labour force such as India, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia are emerging as major beneficiaries of global supply chain realignment, reflecting a reconfiguration of manufacturing and sourcing strategies.
For South African CEOs, this necessitates a critical review of existing supply chain dependencies and a strategic exploration of new partnerships – leveraging the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a vital growth corridor and seeking resilience through regional integration.
AI as a business imperative
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and advanced analytics are redefining industries, with 95% of CEOs identifying AI as a major opportunity for their businesses. This reflects an accelerating shift also underway in South Africa, where AI adoption is rapidly outpacing the average rate of adoption across the entire African continent.
This optimism is increasingly supported by tangible outcomes, with 60% of CEOs reporting financial benefits from AI initiatives including at least a 1% improvement in cost savings or revenue. Furthermore, 17% of respondents realised over 10% impact, underscoring AI’s transformative potential.
The report also highlights the disparity in AI impact between company sizes. Larger enterprises are reaping greater benefits with 24% reporting significant returns, compared to just 13% among small and medium-sized businesses indicating that scale is a key factor in AI adoption and success.
This finding presents a critical challenge and opportunity for South African SMEs. While larger corporations can leverage their resources for significant AI investment, the imperative for smaller businesses is to strategically identify targeted AI applications that drive immediate value. This can be done through collaborative initiatives or leveraging accessible cloud-based solutions to avoid being left behind in the AI revolution.
Building the future workforce
In an AI-driven world, talent is becoming a central competitive advantage. A significant 75% of CEOs now view talent attraction, development, and retention as a major business opportunity – up 25 percentage points from 2024, making it the fastest-growing area of focus.
This shift reflects an increasing recognition that continuous learning, workforce agility, and new operating models are essential to thrive in a rapidly changing landscape. South Africa’s quickly growing young population and persistent youth unemployment crisis add a particular urgency to this insight.
For South African CEOs, this isn’t just about retaining top talent – it’s about actively investing in upskilling and reskilling programmes that address both current skill gaps and future demands, potentially turning the youth unemployment challenge into a demographic dividend by fostering a future-ready workforce. In response, 87% of CEOs plan to enhance or transform employee skills over the next two years, signaling a proactive commitment to workforce readiness.
Driving growth through discipline and innovation
Despite a climate of uncertainty, growth remains a top priority.
The survey finds that 68% of CEOs selected a growth initiative as their primary focus for 2025 – up from 56% the previous year. This growth agenda is being underpinned by disciplined cost management – now a top-three priority for 70% of CEOs, a steep rise from 39% in 2024.
Planning horizons are also becoming shorter, with 43% of CEO time dedicated to strategies with a time frame of less than one year.
To achieve strategic expansion, 95% of CEOs plan to pursue mergers and acquisitions over the next one to two years, highlighting M&A as a key lever for accelerating growth.
For South African leaders, this reflects the tension between firefighting and future-proofing – where short-term stability and long-term transformation must be pursued in parallel. This means striking a delicate balance: aggressively managing cost and adapting to immediate market shifts while simultaneously identifying strategic growth avenues – including M&A – that will position their businesses for sustainable prosperity beyond the current challenges.
A holistic approach to leadership
Amid these multifaceted challenges, the report emphasises the imperative for adaptive leadership – characterised by resilience, foresight, and strategic agility. One of the central findings is the interconnected nature of today’s business risks: geopolitical tensions, technological disruption, and workforce transformation cannot be addressed in isolation.
For South African CEOs, many of whom are already navigating complex and high-stakes environments, this is a timely reminder: siloed thinking is no longer an option. Successful South African leaders will be those who can integrate these seemingly disparate challenges into a cohesive strategic vision, fostering cross-functional collaboration and embracing a truly holistic approach to risk management and opportunity creation.