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Media release

Media release

Absa recognised by Forbes among the World’s Best Employers and Top Companies for Women 2025

30 October 2025

Absa Group has been honoured by Forbes Magazine as one of the World’s Best Employers for 2025, ranking 97th globally among 900 large multinational organisations. The bank is also proudly recognised as one of the World’s Top Companies for Women 2025, moving up from 323rd place in 2024 to an impressive 66th this year.

These dual recognitions highlight Absa’s commitment to building a diverse, inclusive, and winning organisation that continues to attract, nurture, and empower top talent across the continent.

The two Forbes awards recognise excellence across different dimensions of workplace experience. The World’s Best Employers are selected annually through independent global surveys completed by over 300,000 employees across 50 countries. Employees participate anonymously through secure online panels to ensure complete confidentiality. This process is conducted entirely independently of the companies themselves, giving respondents the freedom to provide open and honest feedback on their employers.

In contrast, the World’s Top Companies for Women ranking examines employer brand perception, public opinion on gender equality, and objective leadership metrics such as the presence of women in executive roles and on boards. Particular emphasis is placed on the visibility of women in leadership positions and the organisation’s demonstrated commitment to equal opportunity.

Jeanett Modise, Absa Group Chief Human Capital Officer says, “Our inclusion in both Forbes rankings is a testament to the strong culture we have built at Absa, one that values belonging, wellbeing, and excellence. We are intentional about creating an environment where every colleague can bring their best self to work and thrive in a space that celebrates diversity, equity, and growth.”

Modise adds, “We believe that advancing women in the workplace is not only a moral imperative but a strategic advantage. This recognition reaffirms our progress and motivates us to continue creating pathways for women to lead, grow, and inspire across all areas of the business.”

Absa’s inclusion among the world’s top employers reflects its ongoing investment in people and culture transformation. Through building leadership and organisational resilience, prioritising wellness programmes, and inclusive policies and practices, the organisation continues to strengthen its colleague experience and global employer brand.

Earlier this year, the bank also announced that, for the fourth consecutive year, it has been recognised as a Top Employer for 2025 by the prestigious Top Employer Institute (TEI) across six key African markets – South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Ghana, Botswana, and, for the first time, Mauritius. The Top Employer Institute commended Absa for its outstanding progress across several people and culture metrics, including Leadership (+9.06%), Work Environment (+10.83%), Onboarding (+6.70%), Wellbeing (+7.68%), Employee Listening (+11.32%), and Offboarding (+7.77%)—areas in which the Group achieved the highest growth, placing it well above industry benchmarks. Absa’s strong focus on employee wellbeing and its high-performance culture has been central to this success, laying a solid foundation for another successful year.

“These milestones belong to every Absa colleague who contributes to our shared purpose of empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together, one story at a time,” concludes Modise.

30 October 2025

Absa Group has been honoured by Forbes Magazine as one of the World’s Best Employers for 2025, ranking 97th globally among 900 large multinational organisations. The bank is also proudly recognised as one of the World’s Top Companies for Women 2025, moving up from 323rd place in 2024 to an impressive 66th this year.

These dual recognitions highlight Absa’s commitment to building a diverse, inclusive, and winning organisation that continues to attract, nurture, and empower top talent across the continent.

The two Forbes awards recognise excellence across different dimensions of workplace experience. The World’s Best Employers are selected annually through independent global surveys completed by over 300,000 employees across 50 countries. Employees participate anonymously through secure online panels to ensure complete confidentiality. This process is conducted entirely independently of the companies themselves, giving respondents the freedom to provide open and honest feedback on their employers.

In contrast, the World’s Top Companies for Women ranking examines employer brand perception, public opinion on gender equality, and objective leadership metrics such as the presence of women in executive roles and on boards. Particular emphasis is placed on the visibility of women in leadership positions and the organisation’s demonstrated commitment to equal opportunity.

Jeanett Modise, Absa Group Chief Human Capital Officer says, “Our inclusion in both Forbes rankings is a testament to the strong culture we have built at Absa, one that values belonging, wellbeing, and excellence. We are intentional about creating an environment where every colleague can bring their best self to work and thrive in a space that celebrates diversity, equity, and growth.”

Modise adds, “We believe that advancing women in the workplace is not only a moral imperative but a strategic advantage. This recognition reaffirms our progress and motivates us to continue creating pathways for women to lead, grow, and inspire across all areas of the business.”

Absa’s inclusion among the world’s top employers reflects its ongoing investment in people and culture transformation. Through building leadership and organisational resilience, prioritising wellness programmes, and inclusive policies and practices, the organisation continues to strengthen its colleague experience and global employer brand.

Earlier this year, the bank also announced that, for the fourth consecutive year, it has been recognised as a Top Employer for 2025 by the prestigious Top Employer Institute (TEI) across six key African markets – South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Ghana, Botswana, and, for the first time, Mauritius. The Top Employer Institute commended Absa for its outstanding progress across several people and culture metrics, including Leadership (+9.06%), Work Environment (+10.83%), Onboarding (+6.70%), Wellbeing (+7.68%), Employee Listening (+11.32%), and Offboarding (+7.77%)—areas in which the Group achieved the highest growth, placing it well above industry benchmarks. Absa’s strong focus on employee wellbeing and its high-performance culture has been central to this success, laying a solid foundation for another successful year.

“These milestones belong to every Absa colleague who contributes to our shared purpose of empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together, one story at a time,” concludes Modise.