WEEKLY HR BRIEF

Week of 7 September 2026

Welcome to this week's HR Intelligence Brief from KB Human Capital Solutions. Below is a summary of the most important developments in South African labour law, employment equity and workplace compliance that may affect your business.

1. Employment Equity Reporting Window Now Open

The 2026 EE reporting cycle opened 1 September: manual submissions close 1 October, online submissions close 15 January 2027. This is the first cycle assessed against actual sectoral numerical targets rather than a baseline filing, so treat it as more consequential than a routine annual return. Confirm your workforce data and EE Plan are aligned to your sector's targets before filing.

2. SETA Grant Doubles to 40% of Skills Levy Paid

The mandatory SETA employer grant has doubled from 20% to 40% of Skills Development Levy paid, for employers who submit a Workplace Skills Plan and Annual Training Report. The SDL rate itself stays at 1% of payroll. Worth flagging to clients who've been paying the levy without claiming back — the return has just doubled.

3. Remote Work Surges 28% Beyond Tech

Remote employment grew 28% in H1 2026 versus the same period last year, as recruiters widen their search beyond tech to access scarce skills. Office space demand in major cities continues to soften as a result — a useful data point for clients weighing footprint decisions alongside talent strategy.

4. Hybrid Work Now a Standard Expectation, Not a Perk

Candidates increasingly treat hybrid arrangements as a baseline condition of employment rather than a bonus, particularly in tech, finance, professional services, and engineering consulting. Employers slow to formalise a hybrid policy risk losing ground in an already tight skills market.

5. Skills-Based Hiring Gains Ground

More employers are validating ability through assessments and Recognition of Prior Learning rather than degrees alone, supported by SAQA's RPL framework and QCTO qualifications. Worth checking whether your criteria over-index on credentials where skills-based screening would widen the pool.

6. AI in Recruitment: POPIA Guardrails in Focus

As more employers adopt AI screening tools, POPIA compliance — lawful processing, consent, and data minimisation — is becoming as important as the hiring outcome. Pair any new AI recruitment tool with a data protection review before rollout.