How SA’s economic squeeze is fuelling a burnout crisis

South Africans are running on empty and are psychologically distressed — and they’re taking their upset and exhaustion to work.

Experts warn that for workers battling rising living costs, stagnant salaries, job insecurity and longer hours, switching off has become a barely affordable luxury as workplace demands rise, creating an economic-stress-to-burnout pipeline.

That pressure is creating a vicious cycle. The more financially trapped employees feel, the harder they work and the less able they are to walk away from the workplaces pushing them into burnout.

“Financial pressure is one of the biggest concerns we [hear about] on our helpline,” said Lyn Labuschagne, corporate wellness manager for the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag).

The numbers paint a bleak picture. Gallup’s 2026 “State of the Global Workplace” report indicates that about 35%-40% of South African employees experience daily stress — among the highest levels worldwide.

Industrial psychologist Prof Lené Graupner said, while the proportion of South Africans considered to be “thriving” has improved since 2020, it remains relatively low at about 26%. Reports of daily sadness have also gradually increased, suggesting persistent psychological strain among workers.

Over the last decade we have seen electricity go up by 165%, petrol by 74%, and inflation by 49% — all of which impact the effort-reward balance. Even people who are not under financial pressure feel like they are going backwards—  Richard Sutton, human performance specialist

Sadag’s own employee survey, involving 963 participants, found that 52% had been diagnosed with a mental health condition, with depression, stress, generalised anxiety disorder and burnout topping the list.

The survey found that 61% of employees wanted to leave their jobs but could not afford to, while 75% could not stop thinking about work when off duty. Half felt unhappy at the start of a working week, and four in 10 feared losing their jobs.

Inadequate pay, long hours, tight deadlines and constant organisational change were rated the top workplace challenges.

“Our most concerning find was that less than half of the employees we spoke to had access to employee assistance programmes, and only 28% of those had made use of one,” Labuschagne said.

“The message is clear. Mental health is not a personal issue anymore. It’s a workplace and business issue.”

South African human performance specialist Richard Sutton — author of The Stress Code and Stressproof: The Game Plan, and presenter of the Shift Happens podcast — agreed that workplace stress and burnout are becoming increasingly prevalent.

“It’s chronic, unpredictable and out of control. Stress is at siege levels,” he said, describing financial uncertainty as the biggest driver of the mental health epidemic.

“We’re doing more for no reward. Over the last decade we have seen electricity go up by 165%, petrol by 74%, and inflation by 49% — all of which impact the effort-reward balance. Even people who are not under financial pressure feel like they are going backwards.”

Prof Andrew Thatcher, chair of industrial and organisational psychology at Wits, said no hard statistics are available on workplace burnout in South Africa, but recent research by North-West University has found it to be increasing.

The world is more connected, technology is faster, and it’s no longer about whether or not to use AI but simply the push to do more quicker—  Prof Andrew Thatcher

Thatcher’s work focuses on ergonomics, workplace wellbeing and sustainable development, and he has found that the pace of work and the breadth of its scope are the major driving factors when it comes to burnout.

“The world is more connected, technology is faster, and it’s no longer about whether or not to use AI but simply the push to do more quicker,” Thatcher said.

Employees are also dealing with external pressures, including competition from international consultants, service providers and call centres, as well as unemployment, crime and concerns about water, energy and food security.

“The lower end is squeezed so tight that people cannot grow their wealth,” he said.

Graupner said financial hardship is a chronic stressor that could significantly damage psychological wellbeing, with South Africans facing rising living costs and debt.

“Burnout has become an important occupational health concern worldwide,” she said, explaining it is driven primarily by chronic workplace conditions — such as excessive workloads, insufficient resources, limited opportunities for growth, and inadequate organisational support — rather than individual weakness.

The Covid-19 pandemic had sparked the problem by bringing the workplace into people’s homes, blurring the boundaries between these two spheres, Labuschagne said. “We are definitely seeing more people reaching out to us with burnout. And it’s no longer just about long hours and heavy workloads — it’s because chronic stress has gone unmanaged.

“The biggest challenge since Covid-19 is that people are not good at switching off any more. They answer e-mails in the evening, worry about work over the weekend, and feel guilty for taking time off, so their minds never get time to recover.”

For Labuschagne, recovery is just as important as productivity: “We encourage organisations to think differently. Workplace health is about more than just a wellness day. It’s about encouraging staff to take breaks and rest for the benefit of their mental health.”