On 4 September 2025, Top Employers Institute hosted its first People Summit South Africa at Vodacom Office Park in Johannesburg. In partnership with Vodacom Group and Accenture South Africa, the summit convened more than 160 HR leaders, experts and certified Top Employers from across the region to share insights, best practices and bold ideas shaping the future of work.
Building on the momentum of the inaugural People Summit in Egypt, the Johannesburg edition was anchored on two timely themes: AI-powered leadership and skills-based talent management. The day underscored the power of partnership, with Vodacom Group and Accenture South Africa demonstrating how technology, community and human-centred strategies can transform both workplaces and society at large.
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Setting the stage: A vision for HR in Africa
In his opening remarks, Nathier Jappie, Regional Manager for Africa at Top Employers Institute, emphasised the summit’s purpose: creating a platform for HR leaders to learn, collaborate and collectively drive a better world of work. Sandra Botha, Global HR Auditor at Top Employers Institute, followed with an opening keynote exploring how organisations can align HR practices to global benchmarks while adapting to Africa’s unique market realities.
From the outset, the summit positioned itself not just as a conference, but as a catalyst for action – highlighting how certified Top Employers across the continent are leading the charge in employee experience, leadership development and transformation.
Vodacom: Harnessing AI for people-centric impact
As Africa and South Africa’s number one Top Employer for two consecutive years, according to Top Employers Institute, Vodacom set the tone with a series of powerful contributions.
- Welcome address: Matimba Mbungela, CHRO of Vodacom Group, highlighted how Vodacom’s HR strategy is rooted in people-first leadership, continuous learning and technological innovation. His message framed Vodacom not only as a telecoms leader, but as a people leader driving progress across Africa.
- Case study – churn prediction model: Tando Mkosi, Managing Executive of Talent, Capabilities and Organisational Development, demonstrated how Vodacom leverages AI to predict and prevent employee churn. By combining predictive analytics with real-time insights, Vodacom is strengthening its ability to retain talent, boost engagement and maintain its competitive edge as a certified Top Employer.
- Case study – human-centred IOT: Njabulo Mashigo, HR Director at Vodacom South Africa, presented a forward-looking case study on how intelligent connectivity is enabling organisations to design human-centred IOT solutions. These tools empower employees with smarter, more personalised experiences – reinforcing Vodacom’s belief that technology must serve people, not replace them.
Together, Vodacom’s contributions highlighted how AI can be ethically and effectively applied to HR, creating systems that are predictive, inclusive and anchored in trust.
Accenture: Community, creativity and social impact
Accenture South Africa brought a unique perspective to the summit, showcasing how HR and corporate purpose can intersect to drive both business and societal impact.
- Case study – the Philipstown Wire Car Grand Prix: Presented by Vanessa Goonahsylin and Leandi van den Berg, this case study told the inspiring story of how a small-town pastime – children racing handmade wire cars – was transformed into a global platform for creativity and resilience.
By elevating the race to an international stage, Accenture demonstrated how storytelling, technology and social investment can reframe community traditions into powerful symbols of inclusion and innovation. Beyond showcasing corporate creativity, the initiative supports the Philipstown Wire Car Foundation, proving that HR strategies can extend far beyond office walls into real-world impact.
Accenture’s session reinforced the summit’s central message: leadership in HR requires both technological advancement and deep human connection.
The power of dialogue: Panel on AI-powered leadership
The highlight of the day was the panel discussion: “Leading with Intelligence: How HR Leaders Are Using AI to Unlock Human Potential”. Moderated by Karen Muller from Top Employers Institute, the panel convened executives from Vodacom, Accenture, Schneider Electric, Tsebo Solutions Group, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa and others.
Across four themes – Strategy & Integration, Ethics & Human-Centric Leadership, Impact & Results, and The Future of AI in HR, the discussion explored pressing questions:
- How can AI enhance decision-making without replacing human judgment?
- What ethical safeguards are needed to ensure fairness and trust in AI-driven HR?
- How do organisations measure ROI on AI in talent management?
- What lessons can global HR leaders learn from African organisations pioneering AI adoption?
The panellists agreed that while AI offers immense promise, from predictive analytics to skills-based workforce planning – it must be guided by ethical frameworks, cultural values and an unwavering focus on human dignity. This dialogue reflected a broader truth: Africa is not simply adopting global trends but shaping them with locally grounded, globally relevant insights.
A platform for connection and recognition
Beyond its formal sessions, the People Summit South Africa created an environment for meaningful networking. Over 160 attendees engaged in peer-to-peer learning, sharing case studies and exploring opportunities for collaboration.
The event closed with a prize draw to an exclusive HR Ignite session with Top Employers Institute's Client Success team and a call to action: for HR leaders to continue the conversations sparked during the summit and take practical steps towards embedding AI-powered, skills-based leadership within their organisations.
Why collaboration matters
The success of the Johannesburg summit underscores the power of strategic partnerships. Top Employers Institute, Vodacom and Accenture together showcased what’s possible when global standards, corporate innovation and local community insights converge.
- For Top Employers Institute, the summit reinforced its role as the global authority on HR certification, benchmarking and best practice sharing.
- For Vodacom, it was an opportunity to demonstrate leadership not just in telecommunications, but in building inclusive, people-driven workplaces.
- For Accenture, it highlighted how HR strategies can extend impact into communities, fostering resilience and creativity at scale.
Together, these collaborations illustrate how African HR leaders are at the forefront of building smarter, more inclusive and more sustainable workplaces.
Looking ahead
The 2025 People Summit South Africa marked a milestone: the first of its kind in the country, powered by collaboration with Vodacom and Accenture. As we look forward, the summit’s themes – AI-powered leadership, skills-based talent management and human-centred innovation – will continue to shape HR conversations across Africa and beyond.
For Top Employers Institute, the summit reaffirmed its mission: to support organisations in creating better workplaces, to spotlight those achieving certification excellence and to convene leaders who are transforming the world of work.
Relive the moments and discover the energy of the People Summit South Africa through the official photo gallery here.
If you would like more information, or wish to collaborate on any future initiatives, please contact Top Employers Institute's Regional Marketing Manager, Nazia Osman, on Nazia.osman@top-employers.com.
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