Every October, green ribbons and social awareness hashtags remind us that mental health matters. But real change doesn’t come from awareness campaigns, it comes from culture.
And make no mistake, the stakes are high – mental ill-health costs SA’s economy an estimated R161bn every year in absenteeism, presenteeism and premature mortality. And it’s not declining post Covid. In 2025, it’s estimated that one in three South Africans are expected to face a mental health issue in their lifetime, and that 90% won’t get access to proper care. Not surprising considering government allocates around 5% of the health budget to addressing the mental health crisis. Plus, South Africa faces a critical shortage of mental-health professionals – there are an estimated 0.31 psychiatrists per 100,000 people in a country where the suicide rate sits around 23.5 per 100,000.
So yes, not only is there a growing mental health gap, the workplace has now become the frontline for early detection, prevention, and support. But here’s the good news – it doesn’t have to cost you billions to be first response. Culture is leverage and every company has at least three high-ROI levers – manager conversations, clear communication and psychological safety – that they both directly control and can quickly activate.
1. Manager conversations: The messages that matter
People don’t leave companies, they leave managers. In fact, managers are the first responders to stress signals. Great managers de-shame help-seeking, catch overload early and convert anxiety into action. Poor managers amplify shame, ambiguity and burnout.
What great managers sound and act like:
They schedule regular 1:1s: They offer weekly or fortnightly meetings with a simple check-in script: “What’s energising you? What’s heavy? Where do you need help?”They offer micro-recognitions to counter learned helplessness.They model boundary setting: Instead of midnight emails, they encourage visible breaks and “I’m logging off”.They comfort with feelings without dictating solutions: They acknowledge without the need to always have the solution. “Thanks for telling me. Let’s figure next steps together.”They open every company forum with a permission line, like “it’s okay to ask for help.” This message is repeated and reinforced at every level and opportunity – from town halls to roadshows and internal comms.They share authentic micro-stories (not trauma dumps) about stress, burnout or help-seeking. Authenticity from managers and leaders is the fastest way to reduce shame.Watch out for: Don’t confuse training with transformation. A trained manager will easily revert to old habits. Make sure you do regular training (including communication training) and check-ins with managers and pulse surveys with employees.
2. Communication clarity is care
Ambiguity is an anxiety engine. Vague, sporadic communication creates anxiety among employees and leads to rumour mills that have people guessing as to what’s real and true. Clarity lowers the cognitive load, reduces rework and prevents the death-by-a-thousand-urgent-requests spiral. The World Health Organisation (WHO) explicitly links poor work environments (e.g.: low control, unclear expectations) to mental health risk, and shows the productivity gains when we address them.
What communication clarity looks and sounds like:
Create a ‘single source of truth’: One trusted channel (intranet hub or Teams/Slack space) with clear labels, eg: What’s changing, Why, What it means for me, Where to get help.Be clear and actionable. Publish short, predictable updates with a clear subject line, short bulleted actions, and a clear link to help.Be proactive about changes: When priorities or structures shift, publish a plain-language “decision card” within 24-48 hours that provides context, shares decisions, spells out impact and offers a space to ask questions (and get answers).Watch out for: Over-communication is not clarity. Long emails and ten attachments raise cortisol levels. Always default to short and frequent updates that makes employees feel like they are “in the loop”.
3. Psychological safety
Stigma and shame equal silence. People fear career consequences or judgment if they speak up. Companies have the power to remove the stigma and replace it with permission and support.
Psychological safety makes it normal to say “I’m not okay” and request resources before a crisis happens. A team culture where people feel safe to speak up, ask for help and admit mistakes (without fear of punishment or humiliation) is a team that thrives on collaborative and solutions-orientated thinking.
What great psychological safety looks and sounds like:
Permission rituals: Leaders open meetings with “It’s okay to not be okay here, if you need a pause or a follow-up, please say so.”Learning posture: Blameless post-mortems (e.g.: “What did we learn? What will we change?”).Inclusive airtime: Use round-robins, structured turn-taking, and chat prompts to ensure quieter voices are heard.Visible response to disclosure: When someone flags strain, action follows.Watch out for: Safety without standards becomes mushy. Token vulnerability erodes trust. Pair safety with clear expectations and accountability and always keep it brief, real and linked to behaviour change.
Three more wins:
Reduce friction to first contact
People don’t use benefits they can’t find or don’t trust. Make it simple, visible and safe. Offer one-tap access (“talk to someone now”), publish service-level promises (publish wait times and track them) and offer confidentiality FAQs that bust myths about who sees what.
Build Ubuntu into the operating system
Ubuntu unlocks mutual care and compassion – two powerful antidotes to shame. When teams normalise mutual care, more people seek help earlier, even before issues escalate. Create peer support circles, community care days or recognise caring behaviours in internal newsletters.
Adopt an AI-augmented, human-led model
Use vetted tools (eg: CBT-style chatbots) for psychoeducation, reflection prompts and after-hours check-ins, but never as a replacement for trained therapists. Publish your AI policy to show where the data goes, who sees it and how a crisis is escalated. There should be clear steps from bot to human.
If the workplace is now the frontline for mental health, then leaders and communicators don’t need bigger slogans; they need better systems. In 2025, maybe the R161bn question isn’t whether you “support” mental health, but whether your employees trust and know where to get support when the pressure mounts, workloads spike and someone finally says, “I’m not okay”.
Because culture isn’t just what we say, it’s what we repeat, reinforce and role model every day.
