South Africa’s LGBTIQ+ Workplace Equality Index: Why It Matters

Run by the LGBT+ Forum, South Africa’s Workplace Equality Index (SAWEI) has since 2018 provided participating companies and organisations with a powerful platform to assess how inclusive they truly are for their LGBTIQ+ employees.

As the deadline approaches for organisations to participate in the 2026 edition of the index, we spoke to SAWEI spokesperson Teveshan Kuni-Erasmus to find out why the initiative remains not only relevant but more important than ever.

For those unfamiliar with it, what is SAWEI?

SAWEI is South Africa’s benchmark for LGBTIQ+ inclusion and transformation. It helps organisations see where they stand, what’s working, and what to fix—across people, policies, and systems, customers and suppliers, and public services where relevant. It’s built in SA for our realities, has been running since 2018, and maps practice across the themes: Belong, Design, Grow, Influence, Lead, Partner, Support, and Welcome. SAWEI does not ask for LGBTIQ+ numerical EE (Employment Equity) targets. Instead, it uses the EE process to help organisations list LGBTIQ+ barriers and planned actions (owner, milestone, date), and encourages co-opting Pride/ERG Leads into the EE committee so barriers are recorded and tracked.

Why is it important for companies, organisations, and their employees?

Because values only matter when they show up in everyday practice. SAWEI turns intent into action on things like anti-harassment, fair pay for equal value, benefits access, grievance routes, privacy by design, and inclusive customer journeys—so people feel safe, respected, and able to do great work.

How does participating in SAWEI benefit companies and organisations in practical, measurable ways?

It provides a private diagnostic with clear gaps and a simple action plan and year-on-year scores to track maturity and progress. It helps reduce risk in areas like harassment, equal pay and reputation and assists with improved employee attraction and retention, stronger customer fit, and fewer rework cycles on policies and comms. There are also two outputs – a private report and a public summary – no confidential details are released.

And why is SAWEI significant for the broader LGBTIQ+ community in South Africa?

Workplaces and public institutions shape livelihoods, safety, and dignity. When barriers are removed and support is real, lives improve beyond the office. SAWEI helps convert community needs into concrete organisational actions.

How has SAWEI evolved since its inception, and what improvements or new elements can participants expect this year?

We moved from being policy- and process-based and a tick-box snapshot to a maturity model that tests whether inclusion is lived, consistent, and improving. Participation now covers all types of employers, and we have expanded to cover all types of transformation, for end-to-end economic inclusion, leaning into what already exists by leveraging employment equity and other policies.

Growth, transparency, and practical improvement

How expensive or complicated is it for companies and organisations to take part? And is it only for huge companies and organisations?

It’s accessible, and no special software is required. The effort required scales with the organisation’s size and starting point. SAWEI is open to corporates, SMEs, NGOs, universities, and public bodies.

Some organisations may worry about public scrutiny. Will participation in SAWEI expose companies that are not yet fully inclusive to embarrassment or negative attention?

No. SAWEI isn’t a “name-and-shame.” You get a private diagnostic to improve from. Public materials focus on recognition and learning, not on publishing gaps or confidential content.

This year, SAWEI is inviting not only companies but also organisations and even government departments to participate. What inspired this expansion?

Inclusion and transformation are ecosystem work. Policies, services, procurement, campuses, and suppliers all influence lived experience. Bringing everyone onto a common baseline accelerates change.

Is LGBTIQ+ inclusion still good for business?

Yes, definitely, without a shadow of a doubt. It means safer teams, better retention, wider talent pools, viable EVP, stronger product-customer fit, and lower legal/reputation risk. Less friction = better results. LGBTIQ+ people are here—and must be part of economic inclusion. Here are some examples:

Retention and engagement: Deloitte’s global LGBT+ study reports that 70%+ of LGBTIQ+ employees are more inclined to stay because of their employer’s approach to LGBTIQ+ inclusion—a clear signal that inclusion reduces churn costs.

Talent attraction (what candidates look for): Gartner highlights EVP attributes that attract LGBTIQ+ candidates—i.e., inclusion shows up in recruiting outcomes, not just brand decks.

South African context (why it matters locally): The Williams Institute documents the economic costs of LGBTIQ+ stigma and discrimination in South Africa, connecting lived experience to labour participation and productivity, showing that, inclusion improves outcomes beyond PR.

DEI non-negotiable in SA

With some US-based companies pulling back from DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives, has this made American multinationals in South Africa less willing to participate in SAWEI? Why should they continue to take part?

Yes, there has been a major impact. However, our view is simple – South Africa’s regulatory, legal, human rights, and social context is conclusive and non-negotiable. Local credibility, compliance, EVP (Employee Value Proposition) value add, and talent depend on visible practice. SAWEI enables multinationals to localise responsibly while maintaining global standards and investor expectations. We’d like the multinationals to know that we are able to partner with them in a discreet and confidential manner, in a way that allows them to transform and the community to benefit, while respecting their current predicament.

Why should South African companies and organisations in particular maintain their commitment to DEI and transformation?

Our context matters, queer talent matters, because South Africa’s history and law make DEI and transformation pillars of progress. Pulling back creates culture risk, talent flight, reputational damage, and expensive fixes later. Steady progress is smarter—and cheaper—than repair.

Has this year’s SAWEI cycle been more challenging to run?

Yes. It’s been a tougher year—driven by limited resources, lower participant confidence, index expansion, higher maturity expectations, broader participation, and stronger privacy requirements. There were also questions about the Employment Equity component and some understandable shock at how the index has evolved. We responded by simplifying the evidence needed; snippets or screenshots are fine, we accept “Partial” for pilots/drafts, and kept the scope stable over a five-year horizon (2026–2030) so change can stick. While overall entry numbers are lower, we’re comfortable with the cohort: we’d rather work with fewer organisations that are brave and genuinely committed to LGBTIQ+ inclusion and transformation than chase volume for its own sake.

More than an index

What value does SAWEI offer to organisations that want to improve their LGBTIQ+ inclusion but may not yet have the resources or expertise to do so?

SAWEI gives you a real-world starting point and simple roadmap—a clear view of where you are and the 3–5 moves that matter now. It reduces harm and risk (harassment, unfair pay, privacy issues), helps you attract and keep talent, and makes products, services, and customer journeys work better—saving time and money. It aligns teams (HR, Legal, IT, Brand, Procurement) behind one plan and offers a trusted external benchmark you can reference without exposing confidential gaps. Crucially, SAWEI leverages your existing Employment Equity process to name LGBTIQ+ barriers and the actions to fix them—no new bureaucracy—and it connects you with suppliers and community partners who can help.

The bottom line is that SAWEI provides a credible baseline, a focused plan, and shared momentum. The biggest challenge isn’t doing the work—it’s having the confidence, resources, and support to start, and that’s exactly what SAWEI brings.

Any final thoughts?

SAWEI is ultimately an invitation to start where you are: to acknowledge the barriers, set a realistic forward plan, and move from good intentions to consistent action, together. Organisations don’t need perfection to enter — what matters is bringing your real context and a willingness to grow. SAWEI is a partnership, not a punitive audit, and we walk the journey with participants every step of the way. Looking ahead, the 2027 SAWEI cycle opens in early May and runs through October, offering a valuable window to build momentum and deepen your impact. If we don’t commit to this work, nothing changes. Join us, and let’s turn inclusion and transformation into meaningful outcomes — together.

For more information on how to participate in SAWEI 2026, email members@lgbtforum.org. The submission deadline is 30 November 2025 (23:59 SAST), but organisations can request to arrange a late submission.