While transformational efforts have succeeded in boosting black representation at a managerial level in the metals and engineering sector, these individuals appear to stagnate in middle management positions rather than progressing to senior or top management positions, delegates at the Southern African Metals and Engineering Indaba heard on Friday.

Describing the pace of transformation in the industrial sectors as occurring at “a snail’s pace”, Department of Labour acting deputy director-general Thembinkosi Mkalipi noted during a panel discussion that blacks accounted for only 20.3% of those in top management levels in the metals and engineering sector, while women made up only 15%.

Tellingly, among the sector’s largest 100 companies, 41% of those in middle management were black, while this figure narrowed to only 30% at a senior management level.

“The question is, why is there such a large percentage of blacks in middle management…[and] why is it difficult for them to break through to senior positions? It [could be] an issue of skills.

“At middle management level, there is a lot of scope for these people to be moved up to senior management, as this should be used as a feeder to senior management, so we don’t understand why black people can’t be moved to more senior positions. For us, that’s the challenge we all need to look at,” he commented.

To drive tangible transformation within the industry, Mkalipi believed that executive leadership needed to take the decision to remove existing institutional barriers and adopt a change in mindset.

“Company decision-makers need to see [transformation] as making business sense,” he remarked.

Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority corporate services executive Valerie Ndou reiterated the industry’s apparent lack of transformation, noting that, while the authority had observed an increase in previously disadvantaged individuals within the workplace, they were seemingly unable to cross over into higher skills bands or enter managerial positions.

“While we see some training and employment, black people are still very much represented in plant and elementary worker bands and whites are still highly represented in managerial bands.

“There has been progression by blacks into slightly higher levels, such as clerical jobs, but the penetration into management doesn’t seem to be taking place,” she stated.

Reflecting on his company’s progression to a Level 2 broad-based black economic-empowerment rating, Aveng Steel group human relations director Juba Mashabe asserted that board and CEO commitment was critical to driving transformation within an organisation.

“Unless the board is unequivocal and the CEO drives [the process of transformation], it won’t happen. Companies think it’s risky… and I know it sounds daunting, but we are faced will challenges every day and we find ways of overcoming them.

“Once there is commitment from top management and board level, it can be done, but you have to be bold,” he said.

The Southern African Metals and Engineering Indaba was hosted by the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa.