PRESENTEEISM COSTS 4.2% of GDP.

Loading player...
Presenteeism, being physically present at work but mentally absent and unproductive due to illness, injury, stress or burnout, comes at a greater economic cost than absenteeism, and during the Covid-19 pandemic, it has not only increased but gone digital and virtual.

Employees who show up and attempt to work despite their poor mental health cost South Africa almost 7 times as much in lost productivity as employees who are absent due to depression. The cost of mental health-related presenteeism has been estimated at R96 500 per employee annually, totaling R235 billion or 4.2% of GDP, versus R14 000 per employee and R33 billion annually for absenteeism.
4 Jul 2022 4AM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

Global fashion, local impact and lessons from Valentino’s business legacy

The fashion world is marking the passing of Italian designer Valentino Garavani, the founder of the Valentino fashion house and one of the architects of modern luxury. Over decades, his work became closely associated with global fashion capitals and with retailers and luxury groups that helped take haute couture into…
20 Jan 3PM 22 min

Unpacking 2026 global soft power index

South Africa has dropped two places in the 2026 Global Soft Power Index, now coming in at 43rd overall. Nzinga Qunta and Jeremy Sampson, chairman, Brand Finance Africa, take a closer look at what this ranking means for South Africa, how we stack up against regional peers, and what needs…
20 Jan 3PM 17 min

IMF forecasts resilient 2026 growth driven by AI amid easing

The International Monetary Fund again edged its 2026 global growth forecast higher on Monday as businesses and economies adapt to U.S. tariffs that have eased in recent months and a continued AI investment boom that has fueled asset wealth and expectations of productivity gains. Andre Cilliers, Currency Strategist at Treasury…
20 Jan 3PM 9 min