Despite the progress that South Africa has made towards gender equity, women are still underrepresented in senior leadership roles in corporate South Africa and are often paid less than men doing the same jobs.
These insights come ahead of the upcoming release of Pnet’s Women’s Month Job Market Trends Report, which will delve deeper into gender representation in the workplace.
Pnet draws from five years of employment insights to unpack where progress is happening and where gender disparities remain. The report shows that the gender gap is still a persistent issue in the workplace, reflected in how opportunities, pay and career progression are distributed between women and men.
“With unequal access to leadership roles, pay disparities for similar work, and occupational segregation, women continue to face systemic barriers that limit their full participation in the job market,” says Anja Bates, head of data at Pnet. “These inequalities don’t just affect individuals; they hold back economic growth and undermine the principle of equal opportunity for all.”
Women still underrepresented in higher levels of leadership
Pnet’s data for the past five years shows that women continue to make inroads into middle management. Women have accounted for around 46% of candidates taking up a middle or department management role and men for 52% of these roles (gender data not available for the remaining 3%).
However, when it comes to candidates taking up a new senior management role, female representation declines to 40% and male representation rises to 57% (data not available for 3%). The gap grows even further among new starters in executive management and director roles, where women account for 37%, men for 61%, and unknown for 2%.
“These roles often come with greater responsibility, decision-making power, and higher salaries. Access to leadership – and the benefits that come with it – remains unequal,” says Bates. “It is evident that the more senior the role, the less likely it becomes that it will be awarded to a female candidate.”
The pay gap is still real – with some exceptions
Pnet analysed new job opportunities of female and male candidates over the last 12 months and explored salary differences for females and males for the same job roles. Pnet focused on the largest job market, the province of Gauteng in its analysis.
Key findings illustrate that men still command higher salaries than women in most roles:
| Role | Years of experience | Sector | Pay differential (female + or – relative to male) |
| Operations manager | 10 | Manufacturing | -18% |
| Financial manager | 10 | Finance | -14% |
| Administrator | 10 | Finance | -14% |
| Administrator | 1-2 | Finance | 0% |
| Sales representative | 10 | Manufacturing | -14% |
| Sales representative | 10 | FMCG, Retail & Wholesale | 0% |
| Marketing Manager | 10 | Manufacturing | 0% |
| Accountant | 10 | Finance | 30% |
| General Managerial Roles | Years of experience | Sector | Pay differential (female + or – relative to male) |
| Manager | 10 | FMCG, Retail & Wholesale | -27% |
| Senior manager | 10 | Finance | -16% |
| Director | 10 | Finance | -16% |
“The data shows that women not only become more underrepresented as roles become more senior – they also tend to be paid less for experience and seniority than men,” says Bates. “Accountants, where women outearn men, and marketing managers in the manufacturing industry, where they are on even footing, are intriguing exceptions.”
Female-dominated versus male-dominated jobs and sectors
Whether due to different preferences, tradition or systemic bias, occupational segregation remains a reality. Traditional ‘pink collar’ jobs, mostly care, administration and customer service roles, are still overwhelmingly held by women.
Pnet data from the past five years shows that around eight to nine out of ten of these roles are occupied by women.
| Top 10 Female Job roles | Female proportion % |
| Switchboard / Reception | 88% |
| Skin / Nail / Body Treatments Consultant | 88% |
| Child Care | 87% |
| Secretary | 84% |
| Payroll & Wages | 82% |
| Therapist | 80% |
| Staff Recruitment / Selection | 78% |
| Nursing / Professional Care Giving | 78% |
| Travel Agent | 78% |
| Hairdressing | 77% |
Conversely, technical, heavy manual and transport-related roles such as plumber, machinist, truck driver and industrial repair technician remain predominantly male.
These male-skewed roles reflect ongoing gender imbalances in sectors traditionally viewed as physically demanding or mechanically focused:
| Top 10 Male Job roles | Male proportion % |
| Tool / Die Making | 89% |
| Industrial Machinery Installation / Repair | 88% |
| Bus Driver | 87% |
| Truck Driver | 87% |
| Taxi Driver / Chauffeur | 86% |
| Machinist | 84% |
| Vehicle & Mobile Equipment Installation / Repair | 82% |
| Home Appliances Installation / Repair | 81% |
| Metal, Iron, Steel & Rebar Works | 80% |
| Plumber, Pipe & Steam Fitting | 79% |
Gender equity is key to building a future-fit business
Bates says: “August is Women’s Month in South Africa, a time to reflect on the progress we’ve made toward gender equality, and the work still ahead. We believe that every job should be a fair opportunity regardless of gender. For companies, this is not just about employment equity or diversity goals. It’s about building a more resilient, innovative business.
“Companies that prioritise gender diversity see improved financial performance and market reach. It’s clear that we can do more to level the playing field for women through flexible work policies, mentorship and targeted recruitment.”
- Pnet didn’t analyse every job title, leadership appointment or salary range in the market. Instead, Pnet selected a representative sample of roles where there was sufficient and proportionate employment data for both female and male professionals. This approach gave us a clearer, more balanced view of where gender disparities show up, and where we’re seeing progress.