Why South Africa’s Middle Managers Are the Hinge of 2026 and Beyond – Dr Chris Blair weighs in…
“If the workplace were a relay race, South Africa is executing the most precarious baton change in history: mid-stride, into a howling headwind of economic pressure and technological disruption, while half the runners are glued to their phones and a voice from the stand’s shouts “AI!” at maximum volume.
“That is not hyperbole. It is the lived reality for thousands of middle managers caught in the generational squeeze.
“In my earlier analysis of workplace trends for 2026 and beyond, I described the modern workplace as a dynamic ecosystem strained by demographic forces, exponential technology, and shifting human expectations. The generational lens adds critical resolution to that picture. It does not explain everything - Karl Mannheim’s foundational theory (Mannheim, 1952) emphasised shared formative experiences creating broad tendencies rather than uniform behaviour - but it illuminates friction points with remarkable clarity, especially in middle management, where strategy collides with daily execution. In South Africa, these tendencies are magnified by our distinct socio-political history, inequality, and labour market realities.
The Demographic Pressure Cooker: Gen X as the Organisational Spine
For years, the CV has been the hiring world’s default currency. A neat, two-page summary of who you are, where you’ve been, and what you’ve done. But in 2026, the uncomfortable truth is this: the CV isn’t dead, yet it no longer wields the influence it once did, says Jeremy Bossenger, director, BossJansen Executive Search.
At BossJansen Executive Search, we still ask our senior candidates for CVs. We still read them. And for certain roles – in corporate leadership, for example – the traditional CV remains deeply embedded in how talent is assessed. But the way organisations hire is changing faster than most candidates realise, and the CV is becoming way less relevant as a standalone tool.
The modern hiring process doesn’t just want a record. It wants evidence.
Johannesburg, 4 February 2026 – New Leaf Technologies will host the Learning Indaba 2026, its flagship learning and development conference designed to equip South African organisations with global insights into the technologies, trends and strategies reshaping workplace learning. The event will take place on Thursday, 12 March 2026, at the prestigious Randpark Golf Club in Randburg, Gauteng, and is expected to attract delegates across the learning, HR, and organisational development sectors.
The Learning Indaba 2026 will explore the future of learning in a world defined by rapid technological change, with a strong focus on AI-powered learning technologies, digital learning strategy, workforce skills development, performance management and human-centred learning design. The programme brings together international and local experts, real client case studies and hands-on workshops aimed at translating innovation into measurable organisational impact.
The Department of Employment and Labour has announced that South Africa’s National Minimum Wage will increase to R30,23 per hour with effect from 1 March 2026. This increase is implemented in terms of the National Minimum Wage Act, 2018 and is set out in Schedule 1 of Government Gazette No. 54075, published on 3 February 2026.
The revised NMW of R30,23 per ordinary hour worked applies across the economy and explicitly includes farm workers and domestic workers, whose minimum hourly rates are now aligned with the national floor at the same level. Workers employed on Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) projects must be paid at least R16,62 per hour, while learners under approved learnership agreements are entitled to the updated allowances in Schedule 2 of the Act.
Read more: Government announces new National Minimum Wage of R30,23 per hour from 1 March 2026
Layoffs are making headlines again – but the underlying labour-market signals are more nuanced than they appear. Part of my role at TCI is to track labour-market trends and shifts so we can make better, informed decisions for us and our clients. Here’s what I’ve noted recently: Job cuts and retrenchments are a global reality – but there is a good news subtext. We can see where hiring is still happening and which roles are gaining ground. Worth a read if you’re leading teams, navigating change or planning for 2026.
Read more: Layoffs in 2025: What the data really shows - and where opportunity still exists
Page 5 of 79
