Beyond Registration: Why Section 4 Exemptions Are Essential in a Quota Economy
How Section 4 can unlock real freedom for families beyond CAPS
On 15 April 2025, the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) published the Employment Equity general administrative regulations, along with sectoral numerical targets. The new section 15A introduces sectoral numerical targets, which are expected to come into effect in September 2025. For example in the sector of “Professional, Scientific, and Technical Activities”, only 4.1% white males are allowed for skilled technical positions.
This means that for many companies, no new white males can be hired until enough resign or retire. Little public information is available on how companies plan to resolve this problem, because labour laws make it difficult to retrench staff. However, it recently became public that Mr. Kannemeyer (https://maroelamedia.co.za/nuus/sa-nuus/stellenbosch-mhb-bestuurder-in-die-sop-oor-uitlatings/) of Stellenbosch Municipality intentionally makes life difficult for white males in the municipality to pressurize more white males to resign. Even if such extreme measures are adopted by most employers, it could still take years before new white males can be employed.
The implication of these developments is that white boys have little prospect of finding employment in South Africa’s quota-bound formal economy, especially given that municipalities are often the largest employers. While some sectors may still allow limited space, the overwhelming trend points to shrinking opportunities.
The CAPS curriculum was designed to channel learners into the formal economy. Yet it offers almost no preparation for self-employment, freelancing, or international opportunities. Skills like coding, entrepreneurship, and digital freelancing are absent, leaving children unprepared for the realities they will face.
Given that white boys have little prospect of finding employment in the regulated sectors, they must either master the skills required to find employment in other countries or in the informal sector. The South African school system is not designed for this. Even registration for home education in terms of section 51 of the SA Schools Act leaves limited space to prepare learners for life outside the quota-bound industries, because it requires CAPS alignment and formal assessments.
If young white males are to have a realistic chance at building a future, provincial governments should expand exemptions under Section 4 of the SA Schools Act and allow parents to explore alternative education pathways. These should focus on entrepreneurial training, digital skills for the global economy, and preparation for opportunities beyond South Africa’s quota-bound formal sector.
Section 4 of the act allows for exemption from compulsory school attendance when this is in the interest of the child. The quota economy now creates a reason why S4 is in the interests of learners whose prospects are limited in the regulated sectors. This does not require legislative change, only the publication of guidelines for a more flexible application of Section 4.