In an era that fervently champions youth empowerment, the invaluable contributions of older employees are often overlooked.
Despite the glossy HR brochures and the boilerplate declarations of “equal opportunity”, ageism remains a stubborn and largely unaddressed bias in corporate South Africa. Older professionals, particularly those over 60, are routinely sidelined, not because they lack capability, but because they are misjudged. The stereotype of the older worker as slow, inflexible or technologically inept continues to shape hiring decisions and workplace dynamics, often unconsciously, but no less harmfully.
Organisations may claim they do not discriminate on the basis of age, but few take meaningful steps to counteract the deeply embedded assumptions that drive such exclusion. The result is a loss, not just of fairness, but of wisdom, resilience and strategic depth.
The under-appreciated value of workers over the age of 60
In today’s fast-paced corporate world, where agility and disruption are prized above all, we risk overlooking one of our most valuable assets — experienced professionals. While younger talent is actively courted, older workers are too often treated as expendable or irrelevant. This is not only unjust, it is hopelessly short-sighted.
Professionals over 60 bring a depth of experience that cannot be replicated. They’ve weathered economic cycles, technological revolutions and shifting consumer landscapes. They’ve led through crisis, adapted to change and built institutional memory. Their insight is not theoretical, it is lived. And in moments of uncertainty, it is precisely this kind of grounded wisdom that organisations need most.
Mentorship and leadership that cannot be bought
Older employees are natural mentors. They’ve made the mistakes, learned the lessons and developed the emotional intelligence that younger colleagues are still cultivating. In an era where mentorship is increasingly recognised as a cornerstone of professional development, sidelining those best equipped to offer it is a strategic misstep.
Moreover, many older professionals embody a leadership style that is collaborative, patient and emotionally mature. They know how to manage conflict, build trust and foster cohesion. These are not soft skills; they are survival skills in today’s volatile business environment — critical skills that the younger generation often does not have in the quantities required to achieve the desired results.
Reliability, loyalty and work ethic
There’s a quiet strength in the work ethic of older employees. They show up. They follow through. They understand the value of consistency and accountability in roles that demand precision, patience and long-term focus. From project management to client relations, these qualities are indispensable.
And unlike younger professionals who may be in a phase of career exploration, older workers tend to be more stable. They’re less likely to job-hop, more likely to commit. In a time when retention is a growing challenge, this kind of loyalty is gold.
Adaptability and lifelong learning
The notion that older workers resist change is not only outdated, but also insulting. Many professionals over 60 have embraced digital transformation, upskilled themselves, and continue to learn.
They may not be digital natives, but they are digital converts and often bring a balanced perspective that tempers tech enthusiasm with strategic caution. Many will have learnt “computer programming” in the late 1970s and early 1980s and are indeed tech-savvy. They will have grown up using Cobol, Pascal and even Basic programming languages.
Their ability to blend traditional wisdom with modern tools often leads to more robust, thoughtful innovation. They ask the right questions. They see the bigger picture. And they remind us that progress is not just about speed, it’s about direction.
A broader precedent: Experience in leadership
Globally, we entrust some of the most complex decisions to older individuals like heads of state, judges and senior policymakers. This is not accidental. It reflects a societal understanding that experience matters. That wisdom, earned over decades, is essential for sound judgment, strategic foresight and institutional stability.
If we recognise this in government, why do we ignore it in business?
The business case for age diversity
Age diversity is not a favour to older workers. It’s a strategic imperative. Research consistently shows that diverse teams, including age-diverse ones, perform better. They’re more innovative, more resilient and better able to serve a varied customer base.
A study by the Boston Consulting Group, How Diverse Leadership Teams Boost Innovation, found that companies with above-average diversity on their management teams reported innovation revenue that was 19 percentage points higher than those with below-average diversity.
That’s not a moral argument. That’s a business case.
Conclusion: It is time to act
If we are serious about building inclusive, future-ready organisations, we must confront ageism head-on. That means more than avoiding discriminatory language in job ads. It means actively valuing the contributions of older professionals, creating pathways for their continued growth, and recognising that experience is not a liability, it’s an asset.
Age is not just a number. It is a testament to a lifetime of learning, growth, and achievement. The over-60 workforce is not a relic of the past. It is a bridge to a wiser, more balanced future.
Let us not squander that wisdom. Let us build workplaces where every generation has a seat at the table and where experience is not just respected, it is celebrated. DM