By Siphosethu Mncedisi Wotshela
African women are claiming management and boardroom positions, yet progress at the highest levels of corporate leadership remains frustratingly slow.
African women are claiming management and boardroom positions, yet progress at the highest levels of corporate leadership remains frustratingly slow.
Across the continent, women are asserting their presence in business, politics, and public leadership. Years of advocacy, policy reform, education, entrepreneurship, and corporate transformation drive this progress. Yet, representation thins sharply as women approach the top.
Studies on women in leadership across Africa point to a mixed picture. Sub-Saharan Africa records some of the highest levels of female economic and entrepreneurial participation in the world. Women run businesses, lead community enterprises, drive informal trade and contribute significantly to household and national economies. This participation rarely translates into executive power.
Women hold about a quarter of management positions across Sub-Saharan Africa. Their numbers improve slightly at the senior management level, where they make up about 29% of leaders in some sectors. However, the share drops sharply at the chief executive level, where women account for only about 5% to 8.5% of CEOs.
The boardroom tells a similar story. Women hold an estimated 12.7% to 14% of board seats across parts of the continent. Southern Africa performs better than many regions, with South Africa recording far stronger representation on major listed companies, where women hold up to 36% of board seats.
Political representation has moved faster in some countries. Women hold about a quarter of parliamentary seats across Africa. Rwanda remains the standout example, with women occupying more than 60% of parliamentary seats, making it a global leader in female legislative representation.
Policy has played an important role in this shift. In South Africa, legislation such as the Employment Equity Act has helped push companies to track transformation more seriously. These frameworks have forced organisations to pay closer attention to the inclusion of previously disadvantaged groups, including black women.
Corporate reform has also gained stronger economic backing. Research cited by organisations such as McKinsey & Company has shown that companies with higher gender diversity in executive teams are more likely to record above-average profitability. This has strengthened the business case for women’s leadership beyond social justice arguments.
Women-led networks, leadership programmes and continental foundations have also created platforms for mentorship, visibility and professional support. These spaces help women connect with decision-makers, share opportunities and bridge some of the gaps that often slow career progression. Yet entrenched barriers persist, demanding direct action.
Many African women still carry what researchers describe as the “second shift”. This refers to the unpaid domestic and caregiving responsibilities women often continue to shoulder after formal work hours. The result is longer working days, higher pressure and greater risk of burnout.
There is also a pipeline problem. Many women in corporate environments are placed in support roles such as human resources, administration and communications. These functions are important, but they are often not the traditional route to chief executive positions.
By contrast, many CEO appointments come from roles linked to revenue, operations, strategy and profit-and-loss responsibility. When women are excluded from these areas, their chances of reaching the top become limited long before promotion decisions are made.
This glass ceiling is rooted not in ability but in exclusionary systems, bias, and restricted access to crucial career pathways.
The challenge for African companies is no longer only to appoint women into visible roles. It is to build structures that allow women to lead at every level of decision-making.
That means moving beyond diversity statements. Companies must create clear promotion pathways, open access to profit-and-loss roles, invest in leadership development and address workplace cultures that make it harder for women to advance.
The rise of African women in management is an important sign of progress. But the real test will be whether that progress reaches the highest offices, where strategy is shaped, capital is allocated, and the future of African business is decided.
