The human capital management function (HCM) has positioned itself as a strategic partner that creates value by supporting employees in establishing conducive working environments. The HCM operational strategy is aligned to the organisational strategy. We therefore see ourselves as a critical enabler of the NLC ultimate outcomes and as custodians of a competent, capable and relevant public entity. HCM resides firmly within the strategic objectives of the organisation and subscribes to the requirements thereof. HCM promotes cascading of performance at all levels, as shown in the below diagram.
The public entity must provide the following key information on human resources. All the financial amounts must agree to the amounts disclosed in the AFS. Where considered appropriate provide reasons for variances.
(Number of employees includes interns and fixed-term contracts)
(Number of employees)
As part of measures to redress the disadvantages in employment experienced by designated groups and ensure the equitable representation in all occupation categories and levels within the NLC, we successfully achieved most of our employment equity targets. However, improvement can be made by increasing the percentage of African female senior managers (targeting a 2% improvement). The NLC has exceeded the target for people living with disabilities within the organisation, with 4% of our staff complement consisting of people living with disabilities (2% above the target stipulated in the Employment Equity Act). The NLC endeavours to increase these numbers to encourage diversity within the organisation.
(Number of employees includes interns and fixed-term contracts)
Our target is 50%
(Number of employees includes interns and fixed-term contracts)
Our target is 50%
(Number of employees)
The NLC has nine (9) vacant positions on Senior Management level, eight (8) of the nine (9) are Distributing Agency Members. NLC has adopted an approach of filling openings/vacancies using their own internal succession and development plans.
(Number of vacancies)
Occupational level |
Employment |
Appointments |
Termination |
Employment at |
Top Management |
7 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
Senior Management |
33 |
4 |
1 |
36 |
Professional Qualified |
44 |
3 |
1 |
46 |
Skilled |
87 |
2 |
2 |
87 |
Semi-skilled |
107 |
35 |
16 |
126 |
Unskilled |
15 |
3 |
1 |
17 |
Due to the successful implementation of our succession plan and internship programme, the NLC has over the year appointed fewer people from outside the organisation to fill both higher and lower-level positions. Our internship programme ensures that our interns are trained and empowered with the necessary skills, competencies, and experience to prepare them for permanent roles.
On professional and Senior Management levels, the NLC makes appointments from both internal and external sources.
The reasons for staff leaving vary:
(Number of people)
Employee performance management is an ongoing process for establishing a shared understanding of what is to be achieved at an organisational level. The focus is on aligning the NLC strategic objectives with the employees’ agreed measures, skills, competency requirements, development plans and the delivery of results.
The emphasis is on learning and development in order to create a high-performance culture to support the achievement of the overall business strategy.
The balanced scorecard approach is one of the performance management tools that the NLC utilises to assist line managers in cascading the NLC’s strategies into well-structured performance measures. The balanced scorecard offers a common platform for the entire organisation for performance evaluation. It demands a systematic approach for efficiently carrying out the NLC’s day-to-day, as well as long-term activities. The process sought to align the whole organisation into one system of descriptors that included inter-departmental assessment, cascading from the Annual Performance Plan through to a divisional performance framework.
NLC’s effective performance management process establishes the foundation for excellence by:
Since its inception, our employee wellness programme (Zithande) has evolved to be an essential part of our organisation, with its core focus on the physical, mental and financial health of our staff members and their families.
The success of the programme has been demonstrated through the increase in uptake of the programmes and services offered by Zithande, with utilisation of 23.5% at the end of financial year 2019/2020. The most prevalent areas requiring support included personal performance issues and organisational matters. Through robust staff engagement, these areas are addressed to support a conducive working environment for all.
The NLC prides itself on its human capital management policies, which are aligned to legislature and supported by SOPs for ease of use. All functions are supported by relevant policies that are in line with NLC strategy and divisional operational strategies. The NLC policies are reviewed annually through the Policy Review Committee to ensure standardisation and alignment.
HCM has achieved all targets, including attaining quality assurance and conducting workshops on performance scorecards to ensure that these measures were understood on all levels. The leadership development programme was successfully completed and has impacted on the staff interaction across all levels.
As 4IR becomes ever more pervasive, HCM conducted digital readiness assessments and skills audits with the sole aim of assessing the digital readiness of our employees and their attitude towards new technologies. These assessments ensured that the NLC’s staff are able to support its regulatory mandate through the use of relevant technological, technical and soft skills.
Implementation of the performance excellences scorecard contributed to the igniting of a high-performance culture in the organisation.
As a young man hailing from a dusty and impoverished village,
I could not have foreseen the growth that I've been afforded as a member of this organisation.
I joined the NLC as a Finance Officer while on my journey towards achieving my postgraduate degree. The organisation offered me a bursary to complete my BCom Honours, as well as funding my MBA studies thereafter. During this time, I was promoted to a Management Accountant and, after completing my MBA, was given the opportunity to join the Commissioner's Office as a Corporate Performance Manager. The NLC proactively assists employees on the management journey, and I was therefore further supported while transitioning into my new role through business coaching.
I do not believe that there is an arrival point on this journey. There will always be more learning and growing to do – the sky is the limit. I continue to learn from the best, and for that opportunity, I will forever be grateful.
To all young professionals, I would like to offer something beyond simple platitudes like "work hard", "know what you want", and "be your own advocate". Instead, I would encourage you to focus on developing your unique skills and believe in your potential – the rest will be history.
Programme/activity/objective |
Performance |
Personnel |
Top Management |
R5 743 015.43 |
R16 786.00 |
Senior Management |
R10 941 438.48 |
R82 650.00 |
Professional Qualified |
R6 943 278.00 |
R72 372.00 |
Skilled |
R11 229 597.09 |
R99 894.00 |
Semi-skilled |
R719 168.00 |
R15 087.00 |
Unskilled |
R791 503.00 |
R15 345.00 |
TOTAL |
R 36 438 000.00 |
R 302 138.00 |
NLC has seen a fair share of labour relations matters, which are common across all industries. The challenges include, among others, conflict management and change management.
HCM has planned to align the organisation to the new technological era by creating a platform that enables an innovation hub. The NLC organisational design has been evolving due to the legislative change and alignment to the grant funding and regulatory compliance operational model, as well as the implementation of the ERP system for efficiency improvement. The focus for the next financial year will be on the following:
– | 180-degree performance management scorecard. |
– | Implement a total reward model. |
– | Return on human capital (labour costs, cost per hire and cost per trainee, as well as absenteeism rates) as measurements to manage the people cost. |
More effort will be made to propagate and improve a culture of performance within the organisation, as well as to capacitate employees to understand and utilise the scorecard approach.
Level |
Personnel |
% of |
No. of |
Average |
Top Management |
R16 786.00 |
7.98 |
7 |
R2 398 115.71 |
Senior Management |
R82 650.00 |
21.82 |
36 |
R2 295 849.39 |
Professional Qualified |
R72 372.00 |
20.58 |
44 |
R1 644 839.61 |
Skilled |
R99 894.00 |
39.2 |
165 |
R 605 420.60 |
Semi-skilled |
R15 087.00 |
4.2 |
25 |
R 603 494.00 |
Unskilled |
R15 345.00 |
6.19 |
42 |
R 365 379.05 |
TOTAL |
R 302 138.00 |
100 |
319 |
R 947 141.07 |
Programme/activity/objective |
Personnel |
Training |
Training as a % of |
No. of |
Avg. training |
Executive |
R16 786.00 |
R879 997.80 |
5.2 |
5 |
R175 999.56 |
Senior Management |
R82 650.00 |
R1 440 418.53 |
1.7 |
15 |
R96 027.87 |
Professional qualified |
R72 372.00 |
R2 425 850.39 |
3.3 |
38 |
R63 838.16 |
Skilled |
R99 894.00 |
R2 504 942.86 |
3 |
71 |
R35 280.88 |
Semi-skilled/Unskilled |
R30 433 270.00 |
R87 490.42 |
0.28 |
36 |
R2 430.28 |
TOTAL |
R 302,138.00 |
R 7,338,000.00 |
165 |
I started at the NLC as a Legal Officer in 2016 and moved to Senior Legal Officer the following year. Thereafter, I was appointed as Legal Manager in February 2020. I've been supported along this journey at every stage through various growth initiatives, such as career coaching and mentoring. Furthermore, I was fortunate to be part of the NLC-funded Wits Business School Managing and Leadership course, as well as an Executive Coaching programme.
Truly, climbing the corporate ladder is not an illusion; it is attainable for all. The NLC has shaped my growth and development at every stage – enabling an incredible personal and professional metamorphosis over time.
I started working for the NLC in 2004 as a temporary employee, filling in when necessary for the receptionist staff and later assisting in the call centre. In September 2008, I was employed full time as a Call Centre Agent.
When I joined the NLC, I did not have any formal qualifications. I started studying towards a Diploma in Public Management in 2010 through the organisation’s internal bursary scheme and graduated in 2016. The following year, I was promoted to a Grant Officer position. I later went on to complete a Bachelor of Technology in Public Management and was subsequently promoted to a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer. During this time, I received further training through programmes offered by the University of Stellenbosch enabled through the funding I received from the NLC.
Looking back, I can truly say that I’m proud of the path of growth and development I’ve crafted over the years through a continual effort towards excellence, coupled with the ongoing support given to me by the NLC.
Both Henry and Khanyisile completed their diploma qualifications through NLC’s bursary scheme. In 2018, they enrolled for the NLC’s customised Grant Makers/Professionals training programme. This programme, together with other upskilling initiatives, opened doors, with Henry being promoted from a driver position to a CLO, and Khanyisile progressing to a Grant Officer’s role.