JTI South Africa has once again been recognized by the Top Employers Institute as a Top Employer for 2026, confirming the company’s unwavering commitment to people excellence and workplace culture. This is the eighth consecutive year that JTI South Africa has met the institute's rigorous global standards for excellent people practices.
Kedibon Letsika, People and Culture Director at JTI South Africa
Additionally, JTI's head office has been awarded the Global Top Employer certification for 2026, making the company join an elite group of just 17 organizations worldwide to achieve this distinction. This 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, stands out in the global business for its people-centric culture, progressive workplace practices and focus on enabling employees to grow professionally and personally.
“Our people and our culture are the foundation of everything we do at JTI South Africa,” says Kedibone Letsika, JTI South Africa's people and culture director. “Being recognized as a Top Employer for 2026 is a powerful affirmation of the environment we have intentionally created – one rooted in trust, inclusion, flexibility and caring. We are deeply committed to ensuring that every co-worker feels valued, supported and empowered to bring their best, authentic self to work every day.”
The Top Employers Institute certifies organizations based on the results of its comprehensive HR Best Practices survey, which assesses performance across six HR domains and 20 key topics, including people strategy, work environment, learning, well-being, digital HR, ethics and integrity and employer branding.
Globally, JTI received Top Employer certification in 50 countries in 2026, with nearly 40 markets ranking among the top three employers in their respective countries. At the regional level, JTI ranks second in Africa, Asia Pacific and the Middle East and third in Europe, highlighting the strength and sustainability of its people's practices around the world.
For JTI South Africa, this global recognition is based on a local focus on flexible working, family-friendly policies, diversity, equality and inclusion, leadership development and meaningful employee engagement in line with JTI’s values and business strategy.
“Having spent the last few years of my career in the People & Culture division, I firmly believe that thriving businesses are based on strong, supported teams,” says Steve Dyer, General Manager of JTI South Africa. “This recognition is not just about policies or programs – it reflects the everyday leadership, accountability and caring that shape our culture. When people feel trusted, heard and empowered, performance naturally follows. Our responsibility is to create the conditions for our teams to succeed, and this award confirms that we are doing that in a meaningful and sustainable way.”
JTI's people-first approach is embedded throughout 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.