Heineken Beverages recognised as a Top Employer for 2026 in South Africa and Africa

The certification reflects Heineken Beverages’ continued focus on building a high-performing workplace, underpinned by strong people practices, leadership ownership and a clear link between culture and business performance. This year, the company achieved a score of 99.42%, an improvement on last year’s 99.31%, strengthening its position well above the global Top Employer benchmark.

Jordi Borrut, managing director of Heineken Beverages, said: “This recognition reflects the progress we continue to make in building a workplace where our People Promise is experienced every day. Improving our score to 99.42% shows that our focus on leadership ownership, fairness and growth is delivering results, even as the benchmark becomes more competitive. Being recognised once again among the Top 10 employers nationally, and achieving Africa certification for the first time, makes this a meaningful milestone for our business and our people.”

While the company’s national ranking shifted from fourth to sixth place, this movement reflects a more competitive peer landscape rather than a decline in performance, with organisations across the market accelerating investment in areas such as digitisation, wellbeing, flexibility and diversity, equity and inclusion.

Active in 131 countries and regions, Top Employers Institute is the global authority on HR certification, benchmarking and advisory. Organisations are assessed through its HR Best Practices Survey, which covers six core domains: People strategy, work environment, talent acquisition, learning, diversity, equity and inclusion, and well-being.

Commenting on the certification, Adrian Seligman, CEO of Top Employers Institute, said achieving Country Top Employer status for 2026 reflects Heineken Beverages’ strong alignment between its people strategy and organisational goals, as well as its commitment to continuous improvement in creating a better world of work.

For Heineken Beverages, the recognition reinforces progress in embedding its People Promise into everyday experience, strengthening leadership accountability for the people agenda, and driving consistency, fairness and growth across the organisation. It also supports the company’s broader Challenger to Champion ambition, positioning it among leading employers in an increasingly competitive field.

In 2025, the Top Employers Programme certified nearly 2,500 organisations across 131 countries and regions, positively impacting more than 14 million employees worldwide.