JTI South Africa Celebrated Among World’s Top Employers For 2026

Kedibone Letsika, people and culture director at JTI South Africa

In addition, JTI’s head office has been awarded a Global Top Employer certification for 2026, placing the company among an elite group of just 17 organisations worldwide to achieve this distinction. The recognition reflects JTI’s strong and consistent performance across its global operations, while underscoring the important role played by local markets such as South Africa.

JTI South Africa, which employs 151 people locally, continues to stand out within the global business for its people-centric culture, progressive workplace practices, and focus on enabling employees to thrive both professionally and personally.

“Our people and our culture are the foundation of everything we do at JTI South Africa,” says Kedibone Letsika, people and culture director at JTI South Africa. “Being recognised as a Top Employer for 2026 is a powerful affirmation of the environment we’ve intentionally built – one rooted in trust, inclusion, flexibility and care. We are deeply committed to ensuring that every colleague feels valued, supported and empowered to bring their best, authentic self to work every day.”

The Top Employers Institute certifies organisations based on the outcomes of its comprehensive HR Best Practices Survey, which assesses performance across six HR domains and 20 key topics, including People Strategy, Work Environment, Learning, Wellbeing, Digital HR, Ethics and Integrity, and Employer Branding.

Globally, JTI received Top Employer certifications in 50 countries in 2026, with nearly 40 markets ranking among the top three employers in their respective countries. At a regional level, JTI ranked second in Africa, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, and third in Europe, highlighting the strength and consistency of its people practices worldwide.

For JTI South Africa, this global recognition is underpinned by a local focus on flexible working, family-friendly policies, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, leadership development, and meaningful employee engagement aligned to JTI’s values and business strategy.

“Having spent the last few years of my career in the people and culture division, I firmly believe that thriving businesses are built on strong, supported teams,” says Steve Dyer, general manager of JTI South Africa. “This recognition is not simply about policies or programmes — it reflects the everyday leadership, accountability and care that shape our culture. When people feel trusted, heard and empowered, performance follows naturally. Our responsibility is to create the conditions for our teams to succeed, and this award affirms that we are doing so in a meaningful and sustainable way.”

JTI’s people-first approach is embedded across the business, with employees actively contributing to strategy co-creation, innovation initiatives, and continuous improvement. A strong emphasis on ethics, integrity, sustainability and responsible human–AI collaboration further shapes the employee experience, both locally and globally.