South Africa’s top CEOs stand out for their depth of experience and strong institutional knowledge – but they trail far behind their global peers in international mobility and cross-sector experience. That’s according to Route to the Top 2025, a report from global leadership advisory firm Heidrick & Struggles, which analysed the profiles of 1,232 CEOs of major companies across 27 markets, including the JSE Top 40.

The data shows that 95% of South Africa’s CEOs have held a C-suite role before taking the top job, compared with 77% globally. Nearly half (48%) have previously served as a CEO, versus 42% worldwide. South Africa also has a higher share of CEOs with prior functional leadership experience: 23% have been CFOs (compared with 21% globally) and 28% have served as COOs (versus 22% globally).

This depth of experience is further reinforced by internal succession patterns, as 65% of South Africa’s CEOs were promoted from within their organisations, and 5% are founders, while only 30% joined the company less than a year before being appointed CEO.

According to Allen Shardelow, Partner at Heidrick & Struggles South Africa, the report demonstrates that local CEOs are exceptionally seasoned leaders by international standards.

“The figures reflect a leadership pipeline that has traditionally favoured longevity, as boards clearly value leaders who fully understand the organisation’s culture, operations, and economic context. South Africa’s CEOs have steered companies through multiple economic cycles and typically know their organisations inside out.”

An extended runway to CEO

South Africa’s CEOs also take notably longer to rise to the top than their peers elsewhere. On average, it takes 11 years from the time they join an organisation to being appointed CEO. Globally, that figure is nine years, pointing to South African companies’ reliance on long internal development cycles.

He notes this model has advantages, but also limitations. “A long runway creates leaders who are deeply embedded in the business. But it can also mean fewer opportunities for external assignments or regional exposure, which are increasingly essential to prepare leaders for modern, complex environments.

“Competitive advantage increasingly depends on adaptability and greater cross-border fluency. That’s where the capability gaps are emerging.”

Global exposure remains a major disadvantage

Where South Africa falls furthest behind is global experience. Only 23% of local CEOs have worked in another geography – the third-lowest share among all 27 markets benchmarked. In comparison, emerging market peers show much higher mobility: 53% in Mexico, 41% in Kenya, 32% in Colombia, and 29% in Brazil. Globally, an average of 37% of CEOs have worked abroad.

Similarly, just 20% of local CEOs have worked in a different industry before taking on their current role, compared to 30% internationally. This gap risks becoming a strategic liability, limiting innovation, he warns.

“Leaders who have operated across markets develop a keener sense of risk, and a greater ability to identify and seize opportunities in unfamiliar environments. They’re often better able to navigate uncertainty and make faster, better decisions. Without that exposure, decision-making becomes narrower and less agile, which is a disadvantage for companies with continental or international growth ambitions.

“Likewise, leading in different environments brings valuable cross-pollination of ideas. Executives who’ve worked across sectors develop sharper commercial instincts and avoid legacy thinking, bringing new perspectives on customers and operations. These qualities are becoming even more important as industries converge and disruption accelerates.”

Equipping South Africa’s CEOs for the future

Shardelow says addressing the capability gap begins with a fundamental shift in how boards think about leadership readiness, and how they build and assess their CEO pipelines. “The next generation of leaders will need a broader frame of reference grounded in meaningful experience outside their established comfort zones.”

He believes boards need to move from passive succession management to deliberate capability-building.

“The organisations that succeed over the next decade will be those that actively cultivate diverse experiences and create stretch opportunities. That’s what equips future CEOs to drive innovation and compete on a global stage, especially as African markets evolve rapidly and global competition intensifies.

“We have exceptional leaders in the country. The opportunity now is to prepare them for a world that demands breadth of experience and readiness for whatever lies beyond our borders.”