In the words of our CEO, Bonga Mokoena: “We celebrate and thrive in the diverse mosaic of our genders, identities, ages and stories. Our commitment to every aspect of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) links directly back to our brand DNA and how we are in the world.” This applies both in terms of how we elevate our relationships with our clients, partners and suppliers and, as importantly, in terms of the relationships we forge between ourselves as colleagues – elevating each other in doing so.
In South Africa and globally, BDO believes inclusion is not just a moral imperative. It is also a strategic business decision that has been proven to benefit performance, innovation, engagement and overall competitive advantage.
Our people experience: Creating a place for people to thrive
At BDO SA, we want every employee journey to be a positive experience. From our first moment of meeting, through learning more about the firm and then becoming part of the team and our success, we plan for you to flourish both personally and professionally.
Creating a place for people to thrive is one of the BDO SA business growth pillars, supported by our brand value proposition of Elevating people. Elevating business. Elevating society.
‘Thrive’ embodies our transformative vision for the firm. It is a platform where individuals are supported to exceed their potential, achieving both personal fulfillment and collaborative achievement. It reflects our commitment to fostering an environment that promotes economic success, celebrates diversity, upholds human rights, nurtures well-being and fuels personal development.
We want new employees to thrive from their very first day and then throughout a successful career at BDO SA. As part of a global network, we offer a rich and rewarding professional life to people who are also committed to elevating people, business and society. This is what our employee journey looks like. Each stage is equally important, building and completing the BDO thrive employee experience.
Our people shape our culture
We may be in a business which deals with numbers, assets and data, but it is the people connection that matters most for our people at BDO SA. Both formal and informal research amongst our people reveals that the people of BDO SA are hugely inspiring to one another.
Creating pathways to thrive elevates every person in our firm. It supports our value proposition of elevating people by investing in their skills and well-being and, in turn, elevates our business through an engaged and client-centric team. This elevation naturally extends to Society , as our people drive positive impact both within and beyond the firm.
Our leadership: Elevating the way forward
Our leaders are courageous individuals who think boldly, speak knowledgeably and act ethically. Driven by the brand value proposition, they focus on enabling our people to thrive, our business to grow and our communities to prosper. Please meet them in person here.
Our transformation: Elevating opportunities for our people
As a company with a purpose grounded in helping people achieve their dreams and ambitions, our culture embraces diversity and transformation both within our profession and in the South African business environment as a whole. BDO is committed to sustainable empowerment that is forward looking, upskilling and driven by excellence.
In line with our values, BDO is committed to doing the right thing and several transformation initiatives within BDO South Africa demonstrate our support for diversity, including our own ‘Elevating Excellence’ and Pride Month programmes – celebrating and uplifting the women and LGBTQIA+ people of BDO. The premise for us is simple. As a business, we believe in promoting a safe, diverse, welcoming and inclusive workplace for all. Global programmes such as the #InspiringInclusion International Women’s Day programme support this commitment to transformation still further.
Here in South Africa, transformation has a particular resonance and is legislated in terms of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act (2003). We are committed to leading this charge, as a significant corporate player in South Africa. At a current B-BBEE level 1 with black ownership at 55.8%, we are striving to attain 30% black women ownership by 2027.
In addition, we seek to grow our future leaders from within the business, but we also understand that growth requires investment and time, which is why we have the BDO High Performance programme This programme aims to accelerate these future leaders in their learning and development through advanced courses, run both internally and externally.
Our alumni: Elevating our past connections
We are proud of our six-decade heritage and we are proud of the people who have travelled that journey with us. We celebrate these former employee alumni in several ways. Some return to our offices to relate their progress in various spheres of influence. Some join us for our NED-focused Elevating Conversations programme, BDO SA’s platform for creating inspiring dialogue which impacts people, business and society.
Our alumni programme is a forum for reconnecting with friends and former colleagues, as well as gaining access to industry intelligence and training opportunities. By building connections with BDO alumni, we gather news to share both within the firm and across the alumni community.
Our intention is to build a learning network that allows us to benefit from the journeys our alumni have travelled, recognising and celebrating the paths they have forged in our sector. If you are a BDO alumnus or alumna, please register via the form below and we will keep you informed of upcoming events and programmes.