NUMBER OF THE DAY | 06 AUGUST 2026 | ROUGHLY 40%

Roughly 40% is today’s Number of the Day. Women hold approximately 40% of non-executive director positions across the 50 largest companies listed on the JSE. Across all director roles, the figure is closer to 37%. Yet women occupy only about 22% of executive positions, revealing a sharp divide between gaining visibility in the boardroom and holding operational power.
Gareth Edwards and Melissa Tighy ask why South Africa is still confronting this gap in 2026. They examine what young girls learn when leadership promises are not matched by visible examples, whether a title or seat at the table translates into real influence, and how artificial intelligence could repeat bias already embedded in corporate decision-making. Women’s Month brings the issue back into focus. The harder question is what happens when August ends.

(00:00) Women Hold 37% of Major Board Seats
(01:19) Could AI Repeat Leadership Bias?
(02:18) The Examples Young Girls Still Cannot See
(03:00) A Seat at the Table Is Not Power