by AKANI CHAUKE
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – ABSA Group has been named a Top Employer for 2026 for the fifth consecutive year, reinforcing its position as one of Africa’s leading people-centric financial institutions.
The recognition, awarded by the Top Employers Institute following an independent assessment, spans six markets: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia and Mauritius.
Absa Ghana emerged as the number one Top Employer in its market, underscoring the group’s depth of talent and leadership capability.
The bank achieved an overall group score of 93.66%, up from 90.15% in 2025 and well above the global benchmark of 85.9%. All participating markets recorded scores above 87%.
Absa Bank Botswana delivered the strongest year-on-year improvement, increasing by 5.53 percentage points, while Kenya and South Africa each improved by 4.94 points.
Ghana recorded the highest overall score at 97.38%, with Zambia also posting gains of more than four points.
Absa’s consistent performance across markets highlights the effectiveness of its human capital strategy, which is aligned to international best practice and tailored to the realities of African labour markets.
The group achieved perfect scores of 100% in Business Strategy, Leadership and Performance, demonstrating strong alignment between strategic intent, leadership execution and organisational outcomes.
Ethics and Integrity also stood out, with a score of 99.49%, exceeding both global and industry benchmarks. The Work Environment score rose to 98.41%, positioning Absa more than 10% above the global benchmark.
Significant year-on-year improvements were recorded in offboarding, diversity, equity and inclusion, rewards and recognition, sustainability and employer branding.
Jeanett Modise, Absa Group Chief Human Capital Officer, said the recognition reflects a deliberate effort to redefine the employee value proposition in response to shifting expectations around work.
She noted that clarity on purpose, growth, flexibility and performance expectations is critical to building trust and sustaining engagement across the organisation.
Group Executive for Africa Regions Charles Russon said the expanding footprint of Top Employer certification validates Absa’s people-first strategy and its investment in leadership, culture and inclusion across the continent.
Absa said progress was driven by deeper employee listening, advanced analytics and sustained investment in leadership, wellbeing and skills to secure long-term talent and performance outcomes.
– CAJ News