South Africa's favourite workplaces were revealed yesterday, 26 November, when winners of the 2025 Sunday Times Best Places to Work Awards were announced at a breakfast event held at The Empire in Parktown, Johannesburg.
All the 2025 winners - Sunday Times Best Places to Work
Hosted by the Sunday Times in partnership with global workplace analytics company WorkL, the awards honour organisations that go above and beyond to create workplaces where employees feel valued, engaged, and supported. Unlike traditional recognition programmes, these rankings are based entirely on employee feedback, ensuring an authentic reflection of workplace culture.
“These awards are more than accolades – they are a testament to the power of people-first leadership. Every winner has demonstrated that investing in employee engagement is not just good for morale, it’s good for business. Congratulations to all who have set the bar for excellence,” says Lyndon Barends, MD: Strategic Partnerships at Arena Holdings which owns the Sunday Times.
2025 Sunday Times Best Places to Work Award winners
| Category | 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place |
| South Africa’s Happiest Workplace | Sasol South Africa | Ultra Sound and Vision | Piet’s Construction |
| Best Places to Work for Women | Adhive Group Pty Ltd | Alpha Pty Ltd | Cloudworx |
| Best Places to Work for Disabled Employees | Polyco Pro NPC | Entelect Software Pty Ltd | Western Cape Government |
| Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Employees | Entelect Software (Pty) Ltd | Alpha (Pty) Ltd | McDonald’s South Africa |
| Best Places to Work for Employee Well-being | Mscsports (Pty) Ltd | iLaunch (Pty) Ltd | Cloudworx |
Organisation Size categories
- Small – Adhive Group Pty Ltd
- Medium – Elenjical Solutions (Pty) Ltd
- Big – Alpha (Pty) Ltd
- Very Big – McDonald’s South Africa
The rankings are derived from WorkL’s employee engagement survey, which includes 27 questions designed by behavioural scientists, psychologists, and business leaders. To qualify, organisations must:
- Achieve a minimum engagement score of 70% across six key drivers: Reward & Recognition, Instilling Pride, Information Sharing, Empowerment, Well-being, and Job Satisfaction.
- Meet minimum participation rates: Small (50%), Medium (45%), Big (35%), Very Big (25%).
Looking ahead
The awards not only celebrate success but also provide actionable insights for continuous improvement. Participating organisations receive detailed feedback to help strengthen engagement strategies and build resilient, inclusive cultures.
For more information, or to enter the 2026 awards, visit:
https://workl.com/business/workplace-awards/sunday-times-za/
