Leadership succession gaps leave South African companies exposed

• South African organizations face sustained loss of senior talent to international markets and competitors.
• Weak succession planning and inconsistent executive onboarding are amplifying retention risk.
• Human-centred leadership, alignment, and structured support remain the most reliable stabilisers.

South African firms are confronting an intensifying war for top talent, both locally and abroad, and companies without a sound succession pipeline are beginning to feel the pressure on leadership continuity.

Exceptional talent is scarce, and while attractive prospects exist locally, some of the most compelling opportunities are found overseas. As a result, we’re increasingly seeing organisations struggle with the proverbial brain-drain at senior levels. But those willing to embed succession planning as an everyday leadership priority will ultimately be better positioned to retain depth and stability.

The key is having a solid succession pipeline that actively prepares multiple candidates to step into leadership roles – not just one or two preferred successors. It’s concerning, therefore, that our research shows that some 70-75% of companies are not building reliable succession frameworks. In response, at Heidrick & Struggles, a global leadership advisory firm, we’re consulting a growing number of clients each year on expanding their leadership benches.

Combatting the core causes of attrition

Companies today are faced with a volatile labour and market environment that continues to strain executive leadership. Executive burnout has become a real risk, as repeated global financial shocks, extreme weather events, geopolitical conflict, and rapid advances in artificial intelligence have compounded existing supply chain and governance pressures. Fatigue, combined with attractive alternative opportunities, has become a clear contributor to leadership attrition.

When advising clients on limiting burnout risk and creating a workplace setting in which leaders thrive, several structural priorities consistently emerge:

1. Clarity of purpose: Leaders must understand how their roles connect to the organisation’s direction and feel a clear sense of ownership over meaningful outcomes, rather than operating in a constant state of reactive delivery.
2. Sustained attention to wellbeing: Senior leaders set the tone for performance and culture. For those newly promoted into leadership roles and focused on limiting attrition within their teams, it is important to recognise that their remit now extends beyond a single function to enabling and guiding others. This includes supporting team wellbeing alongside setting clear performance expectations and channelling promising candidates into the succession pipeline.
3. Structured leadership support: Many executives step into senior roles without the mentorship or coaching required to carry the full weight of the position. A new title does not automatically equip someone to lead at the executive level. Without structured support, many leaders rely on trial and error, which carries a measurable cost in lost time, avoidable missteps, and staff attrition under inconsistent leadership.

Appointments made with leadership continuity in mind

Finally, organisations are often most vulnerable when there is misalignment between organisational culture and purpose, and the expectations, biases, and personal-professional goals of newly appointed leaders. These gaps tend to surface quickly through misread stakeholder requirements, mismatched risk appetite, or a disconnect between what an executive believed they were hired to deliver and what the role ultimately demands in practice.

Addressing that misalignment requires deliberate cultural clarity. There is no single “best” culture, but there must be coherence. Heidrick & Struggles’ work in stabilising succession pipelines and improving retention begins with aligning culture and values across the organisation so that leadership expectations, behaviours, and long-term objectives are clearly understood at every level. With that alignment in place, companies are better positioned to rebuild succession depth and create the conditions in which senior talent can remain and grow. It also provides clearer guidelines for HR and boards when making future appointments.

Ultimately, companies that approach leadership appointments as long-term strategic decisions rather than immediate operational fixes place themselves in a far stronger position to maintain continuity, protect institutional knowledge, and sustain leadership depth as market pressures continue to evolve.

Sarah Arnot is a Partner at Heidrick & Struggles, an Executive search firm.