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In South Africa’s ongoing conversation about economic resilience, one of the most significant yet least visible threats is not a lack of skills, infrastructure or ambition — it is burnout.
This Women’s Month with the theme – Building Resilient Economies for All – attention is turning to the invisible load carried by women across the country. Beyond their roles in the workplace, women continue to shoulder disproportionate responsibilities as caregivers, parents, partners and household managers.
The result is a growing crisis of stress, anxiety and emotional fatigue that is quietly shaping career trajectories, limiting leadership potential and affecting national productivity.
While burnout is often discussed in individual terms, experts say it is increasingly becoming a systemic economic issue.
“Women’s mental health is far more than just a wellbeing issue. It influences workforce participation, productivity and leadership potential—all of which contribute to building stronger, more resilient economies,” says Luvuyo Maloka from digital healthcare platform, Unu Health.
“When women are constantly stretched between work, family and financial pressures, their ability to rest, recover and make clear decisions is significantly reduced. Over time, this affects not only their health, but also their participation, confidence and long-term growth in the economy.”
Research supports this growing concern. According to the World Health Organization, anxiety and depressive disorders are among the leading causes of disability globally, with women disproportionately affected. In South Africa, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) continues to report increasing demand for mental health support, particularly among women navigating financial pressure, caregiving responsibilities and workplace demands.[i]
Burnout is no longer confined to high-pressure corporate environments. It is now deeply embedded in everyday life — particularly for women who are expected to balance paid work with unpaid domestic and emotional labour.
“Burnout does not happen overnight. It builds slowly through sustained stress, lack of recovery time and emotional overload,” Maloka explains. “What we are seeing increasingly is that women are entering healthcare systems not only with physical symptoms, but with emotional exhaustion. This affects concentration, sleep, energy levels and ultimately the ability to function effectively in both personal and professional spaces.”
Studies on workplace wellbeing consistently show that burnout reduces productivity, increases absenteeism and contributes to higher staff turnover. For South Africa’s already strained labour market, this represents a significant economic risk.
However, the issue is not only workplace-driven. Much of women’s burnout stems from what is often referred to as “invisible labour” — the unpaid and unrecognised work of managing households, caring for children, supporting ageing parents and maintaining family stability.
This constant mental load leaves little space for recovery or self-care, with healthcare often becoming another task to postpone rather than prioritise. In many cases, mental health support is only sought once symptoms become severe, at which point recovery can be more complex and prolonged. This is where access to preventative and continuous care becomes critical.
Digital health solutions and integrated care models are increasingly being used to provide more accessible mental health support, particularly for women who may not have the time or resources to attend traditional in-person consultations. These approaches allow for earlier intervention, ongoing check-ins and more flexible access to care — helping to reduce the progression of stress into chronic burnout.
“Supporting women’s mental health is not a luxury,” says Maloka. “It is a necessary investment in productivity, leadership and long-term economic resilience. When women are mentally well, they are more present in their families, more effective in their workplaces and more able to contribute meaningfully to society.”
A workforce cannot be resilient if a significant portion of it is operating under sustained emotional strain. And an economy cannot thrive if the people driving it are running on empty.
For more information, please visit www.unuhealth.org