As Africa accelerates into a digital and AI-enabled era, the question of skills has become central to economic competitiveness.
The continent’s future will hinge on how effectively organisations prepare their people to navigate disruption, lead with humanity and build resilient, future-fit cultures.
Absa is one of the organisations stepping boldly into this space, guided by its Dynamic Skills Strategy and reinforced by its Top Employer 2026 accreditation. This marks its fifth consecutive year of recognition by the Top Employers Institute, the global authority on excellence in people practices.
The 2026 certification spans six Pan-African markets — SA, Zambia, Kenya, Ghana, Botswana and Mauritius. This includes Absa Mauritius achieving Top Employer certification for the first time and the bank being ranked number one Top Employer in Ghana, with a score of 97.38%.
Human-centred leadership in action
At the centre of Absa’s leadership and skills transformation is Jeanett Modise, group chief of human capital, who was named Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) of the Year in the 2025 CHRO Awards.
Her journey from professional nurse to business executive illustrates the adaptability, resilience and learning agility required of modern leaders.
Leadership is no longer about hierarchy. It’s about influence, empathy, clarity and the ability to build cultures in which people can grow and thrive
Modise echoes the words of American leadership expert and New York Times bestselling author John C. Maxwell, who said, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.”
In a dynamic and increasingly uncertain environment, leadership is no longer about hierarchy. It’s about influence, empathy, clarity and the ability to build cultures in which people can grow and thrive.
This philosophy aligns naturally with the Top Employers Institute criteria.
Absa’s 2026 accreditation reflects its performance across dimensions such as leadership, culture, learning, ethics and work environment — areas where the bank continues to outperform global benchmarks.
Ghana’s top ranking signals the strength of Absa’s people strategy across the continent.
Building capability
A major driver of this success is the Dynamic Skills Strategy, Absa’s enterprise-wide approach to capability building in a rapidly evolving world.
Rather than traditional training models, the strategy positions skills as a currency of performance, mobility and customer value.
Supported by a curated ecosystem of internal capability academies and learning partners — including platforms such as Udemy — the strategy democratises access to learning and embeds development in the flow of work.
This is not a once-off intervention but a shift towards continuous capability renewal, to enable colleagues to access personalised on-demand learning aligned to the bank’s evolving needs.
Importantly, the Dynamic Skills Strategy elevates leadership and management excellence as enterprise-wide capabilities.
Every colleague is supported to lead themself, lead others and lead change that starts from within — a philosophy strongly aligned with Modise’s belief in leaders as “multipliers and orchestrators” who inspire confidence, grow capability and expand opportunity.
Strengthening talent and inclusion
The strategy also responds to critical skills shortages across Africa, particularly in data analytics, financial technology, risk management and digital customer capabilities.
These are both organisational priorities and national imperatives. By building these capabilities internally while enabling young talent through learnerships and early-career initiatives, Absa is strengthening the broader talent ecosystem, not just its own pipeline.
Beyond access to learning, the strategy embeds capability growth into leadership behaviours. Managers are activated as capability multipliers through performance coaching, mobility discussions and recognition of applied learning.
This ensures that development translates into improved organisational and customer outcomes, which reinforce capability building as a strategic differentiator.
Early adoption signals have been encouraging, with increased engagement in skills-based development planning and internal mobility conversations. This reflects a workforce that’s not only learning but also preparing to lead through change — a vital asset as technology reshapes industries.
Absa’s 2026 Top Employer results show meaningful gains in diversity, equity and inclusion, sustainability, rewards, employer branding and employee experience. Together, these elements demonstrate a maturing, people-first talent ecosystem designed for long-term competitiveness.
Investing in Africa’s future human capital
The lesson for African organisations is clear: the future belongs to institutions that invest boldly in leadership, learning and human capability.
Organisations that deliberately build adaptable, continuously learning workforces will build leadership and organisational longevity, while shaping Africa’s economic resilience and growth trajectory.
Technology will transform Africa. But people will lead Africa. And the organisations that invest in both — like @AbsaSouthAfrica — will define its next chapter.
This article was sponsored by Absa.
