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HuaweiFin24 reports that in two years, tech giant Huawei transitioned from having 90% of its employee base in SA as foreign nationals to employing mostly local people.

As of March 2024, 56% of Huawei's staff contingent in SA consisted of local people, while 44% were foreign nationals, according to data supplied by Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) Minister Nomakhosazana Meth in reply to a parliamentary question. The DEL took Huawei to court in February 2022, claiming that the Chinese-headquartered company violated local employment equity policies by failing to meet local employment quotas. A month later, the parties jointly announced an out-of-court settlement after the DEL accepted Huawei's employment equity plan, which aimed to increase the representation of South Africans to above 50% within three years. Huawei SA has now surpassed that target ahead of time. The data supplied by Meth indicated that foreign nationals had a greater share of top and senior management positions than was average in the company as a whole. Based on the data, 60% of top management, 53% of senior management, and 64% of professionally qualified middle management positions were held by foreign nationals. Some 65% of skilled technical and junior management roles were held by locals, and there were no foreign nationals employed at the lowest, semi-skilled, level in the organisation. Meth said that the DEL would keep an eye on local employment in management at the company.

  • Read the full original of the report in the above regard by William Brederode at Fin24 (registration required)


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