October Health – 2025 Report

Anxiety in South Africa

Leading cause: unemployment and economic insecurity—driven by persistently high unemployment, poverty, and stark income inequality across South Africa. A closely related factor is safety concerns and crime, which sustains widespread stress. For workplaces, consider mental health support programs; October offers digital group sessions, assessments, and content to help teams cope with financial and safety-related stress.

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Anxiety Prevalence
38.25%
Affected people
21,037,500

Impact on the people of South Africa

  • Physical health effects:

    • Sleep problems (insomnia or oversleeping)
    • Muscle tension, headaches, and chronic pain
    • Digestive issues or appetite changes
    • Potential immune changes and higher cardiovascular risk with chronic anxiety

  • Mental and emotional health effects:

    • Persistent worry, racing thoughts, irritability
    • Panic attacks or overwhelming unease
    • Difficulty concentrating and constant fatigue

  • Personal relationships and life impact:

    • Strained communication and social withdrawal
    • Increased irritability, conflict, and less patience
    • Reduced enjoyment of activities and motivation

  • Work and daily functioning:

    • Lower productivity and decision-making challenges
    • More errors, accidents, or reduced focus
    • Increased sick leave or presenteeism

  • Coping and self-help (practical in a SA workplace):

    • Grounding/breathing techniques, regular physical activity, and sleep hygiene
    • Structured routines, social support, and use of workplace wellbeing resources
    • Consider digital tools or group programs (e.g., October) for team support and mental health content

  • When to seek help and available resources:

    • If symptoms persist beyond 2 weeks or impair functioning, seek professional help (GP, psychologist, or psychiatrist)
    • In South Africa, explore employer EAPs, public/private healthcare options, and telehealth if access is limited
    • If at work, discuss accommodations with HR or a supervisor to prevent escalation

Impact on the South Africa Economy

  • Lower productivity and output due to fatigue, reduced concentration, and more errors.
  • Increased absenteeism and presenteeism, shrinking effective labor capacity.
  • Higher healthcare, mental health treatment, and disability-related costs for individuals and employers.
  • Weaker consumer confidence and reduced spending; higher precautionary savings.
  • Investment uncertainty and slower capital expenditure by firms.
  • Higher staff turnover and recruitment/training costs.
  • In South Africa, the impact can worsen inequality, underemployment, and strain public services.
  • Mitigation: workplace mental health programs and supports (e.g., October) can reduce costs and improve productivity.

What can government do to assist?

  • Scale up mental health care in South Africa’s primary health care (PHC): train clinicians, implement routine screening, and subsidize services to improve access.

  • Destigmatize help-seeking across the country: multilingual public campaigns, community engagement, and involvement of local leaders to normalize talking about anxiety and stress.

  • Strengthen school-based mental health: ensure schools have counselors, trauma-informed practices, and resilience programs to address anxiety early.

  • Expand digital mental health access (e.g., October): reach rural and underserved areas with affordable, privacy-protective group sessions and assessments.

  • Improve workplace mental health: mandatory manager training, robust employee assistance programs, flexible work options, and safe channels for reporting stress.

  • Expand social protection and economic resilience: stronger unemployment support, social grants, and energy/food security initiatives to reduce financial stressors.

What can businesses do to assist their employees?

  • Cultivate a stigma-free, supportive culture: leadership openly discusses mental health, safe spaces for conversations, strong privacy and confidentiality, and language-accessible resources (e.g., English plus SA languages).

  • Manage workload and expectations: set clear priorities, reasonable deadlines, protect focus time, encourage asynchronous work where possible, and avoid constant after-hours connectivity.

  • Provide confidential access to support: easy, private access to EAP services, October digital group sessions and assessments, and multi-language self-help resources.

  • Build anxiety-aware skills: train managers and staff in mental-health literacy, how to have supportive conversations, and practical techniques (CBT-based strategies, mindfulness, breathing exercises).

  • Improve environment and routines: create quiet or focus spaces, schedule regular breaks, offer flexible work options, and implement routine check-ins to monitor stress and workload.