Setting the scene for talent management requires an in-depth investigation in order to holistically assist management to implement talent management successfully. As far as could be established, little (if any) research has been conducted on talent management in the South African statutory water board sector. The purpose of the study on which this article reports was to explore talent management in this sector from a qualitative perspective. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the

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... mail interview transcripts collected in the study. The identified talent management themes were: geographical isolation of some operational areas; alignment with organisational strategy; comprehensive stakeholder involvement; a blend of inclusive and exclusive talent management practices; limited scarce skills talent pool; employing designated talent in meeting employment equity targets; isolated emphasis on recruitment and selection; low staff turnover and mobility; lack of career advancement opportunities; and insufficient alignment of learning development to competency and/or skills needs. The implication of these findings is that ignorance of talent management can be detrimental for successful implementation. The unique contribution of this research is that it proposes three strategic pillars that can be used to support a successful talent management strategy.