A prominent South African trade union leader has raised alarm over the government’s new race-based employment regulations, warning that they could lead to significant job losses for both white men and women in key sectors like healthcare and education.
Dirk Hermann, CEO of Solidariteit, a predominantly Afrikaans-speaking trade union, highlighted these concerns, pointing to a new study that reveals the unintended consequences of the policy.
In a report published by Netwerk24 on June 1, 2025, Solidariteit’s Research Institute analyzed the impact of the government’s employment equity targets, which aim to address racial imbalances in the workforce. The study found that if these targets are strictly enforced, approximately 80,000 white men and 111,000 women of all racial groups would need to be removed from their positions. The sectors most affected would be nursing and education, where women are considered “overrepresented” based on the government’s demographic formulas.
Hermann described the regulations as “absurd,” arguing that they represent a form of central planning that has historically led to “tragic consequences.” He criticized the use of what he called a “racial calculator” to determine employment, asserting that such policies are unfeasible and will ultimately “strangle themselves to death.” Solidariteit, which has long opposed race-based laws, called for their abolition, stating, “There is no more place for any race laws.”
The employment targets stem from the Employment Equity Amendment Bill, signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa in April 2023. The legislation allows the Minister of Employment and Labour to set numerical racial equity targets for companies with more than 50 employees, aiming to accelerate transformation in a business sector marked by deep inequalities.
However, the Solidariteit study suggests that the policy’s focus on racial demographics could undermine gender equity, particularly in female-dominated sectors. The report notes that the requirement to replace 111,000 women with men in fields like nursing and education could disrupt these critical industries, which are already under strain. South Africa’s healthcare system, for instance, has faced significant challenges, with recent reports highlighting five-year waiting lists for hip replacements in Gauteng hospitals.
The debate over race-based employment policies has been contentious in South Africa for years. The 2023 Employment Equity Amendment Bill faced protests from the country’s main opposition party, which argued that the targets amounted to racial quotas that could exacerbate divisions rather than heal them. At the time, Minister of Employment and Labour Thulas Nxesi defended the law, stating there was “no empirical evidence” of unintended consequences on employment. Solidariteit’s latest findings, however, directly challenge this claim, pointing to specific figures that highlight the policy’s potential impact.
South Africa has been grappling with the failures of the African National Congress (ANC) government for 31 years since it came to power in 1994, struggling to address economic disparities and unemployment that have worsened under its leadership. Critics argue that the ANC has failed to find effective solutions to these issues, with policies like the employment equity targets further complicating the nation’s economic challenges.
While the government sees race targets as a necessary tool to address these inequalities, critics like Hermann argue that they risk creating new forms of inequity and social tension. The Solidariteit study underscores the complexity of balancing racial transformation with other priorities, such as gender equity and the practical needs of critical sectors like healthcare and education.
As the debate unfolds, Hermann and Solidariteit remain vocal advocates for a merit-based system, urging the government to reconsider its approach to employment equity. For now, the future of South Africa’s race targets, and their impact on the country’s workforce, remains uncertain.
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