Women were less likely than men to be employed in managerial occupations – about one in 14 employed women was a manager, compared with one in 10 employed men.
South African women are making important strides in education, property ownership and leadership. Yet, despite these gains, the latest labour-market figures reveal a persistent gap between progress in other areas of empowerment and women’s access to equal employment opportunities.
The figures came as South Africa marked Women's Month under the theme "Empowered Women Empower The Nation," with women's participation in the economy forming part of the focus.
Women accounted for just over half of South Africa's working-age population in the second quarter of 2026, according to Statistics South Africa's Quarterly Labour Force Survey.
But the official unemployment rate among women aged 15 to 64 was 37.5%, compared with 30.3% for men - a gap of 7.2 percentage points.
