This paper will seek to analyse the performance of the public sector in implementing affirmative action policies intended to promote employment equity. This will be done primarily by examining the pattern of changes in public sector employment over the past five years. Wherever possible, public sector employment data will also be benchmarked against the performance of the economy as a whole, as well as the public sector targets set by the South African Government. This research paper is sponsored by USAID and administered by the Joint Centre for Political and Economic Studies Inc. under a subcontract agreement from Nathan Associates Inc.