South African companies invest heavily in employee wellbeing, productivity and retention. Yet one of the issues affecting all three is still largely treated as something that exists outside the workplace: gender-based violence.
For many employees, the working day does not begin with a clean slate. Survivors may arrive at work after a night of threats, coercion, intimidation or abuse. Others may be dealing with ongoing legal proceedings, financial control, housing instability or concerns about personal safety. Those circumstances can affect concentration, attendance, decision-making and performance, even when colleagues have no idea what is happening.
According to Bashee Naidoo, Director of Client Services at Lyra Southern Africa organisations are increasingly recognising that GBV cannot be viewed as something that exists entirely outside the workplace. “For many survivors, the workplace provides routine, financial stability and access to support. In some cases, it may be one of the few environments where someone has access to trusted resources, information and pathways to assistance.”
Employers may notice declining concentration, changes in attendance, reduced engagement, missed deadlines or a shift in behaviour without understanding the cause. From the outside they appear present, but the impact is often visible in concentration, decision-making, productivity and wellbeing.
Lyra data shows that 6.5% of trauma debriefing, critical incident and crisis-management sessions were linked to gender-based violence related incidents during the reporting period. Over the same period, trauma/critical incident interventions declined from 1,520 in 2023 (the peak year) to 692 in 2026, representing a 54.5% decrease over the period.
The South African National Gender-Based Violence Study 2022, conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), highlights that 35.5% of women aged 18 years and older have experienced physical and/or sexual violence during their lifetime, affecting an estimated 7.8 million women nationally.
The World Bank has estimated that violence against women can cost economies up to 3.7% of GDP through lost productivity, reduced workforce participation, healthcare costs and wider social consequences.
For business leaders, these impacts are rarely reflected in a single metric. They tend to surface through productivity challenges, absenteeism, employee turnover, wellbeing concerns and workforce disruption.
“We often talk about the human cost of GBV, and rightly so. But there is also a significant organisational and economic impact. When somebody is living with violence, it affects their health, financial security, ability to work and overall wellbeing.”
For many survivors, the ability to earn an income can shape whether they are able to leave an abusive relationship, secure alternative accommodation or access legal support. Employment can represent financial independence, stability and, in some cases, a pathway to safety.
Coercive control, financial abuse, stalking, cyber-harassment and psychological abuse often remain hidden from view despite their impact on wellbeing, safety and work performance.
Smartphones, messaging platforms and location-sharing tools have created new ways for perpetrators to monitor, intimidate and harass survivors. Unwanted messages, digital surveillance and online harassment can follow employees into professional settings, often without colleagues knowing what is happening.
Some survivors occupy senior leadership positions, manage large teams and carry significant organisational responsibilities. Colleagues may never know they are also dealing with coercive control, intimidation or psychological abuse outside of work.
For boards and executive teams, GBV has implications for workforce stability, talent retention, absenteeism, productivity, organisational culture and risk.
“One of the misconceptions about gender-based violence is that it only affects certain groups of people. In reality, violence cuts across every profession, sector and income level. Many survivors become highly skilled at concealing what they are dealing with because they are trying to maintain a sense of normality and protect their livelihoods.”
Most South Africans understand that GBV is a national crisis. For employers, the challenge is turning awareness into practical support.
Confidential counselling services, trauma-informed wellbeing programmes, legal guidance, crisis intervention and safety planning all have a role to play. Organisations are also increasingly recognising the value of leave provisions that accommodate court proceedings, medical treatment, counselling appointments and emergency relocation.
Over the 2022–2026 (year-to-date) period, 4.5% of employees accessing GBV-related support utilised trauma counselling services and interventions, while 5.3% sought legal consultation, crisis support or related assistance.
“South Africa does not have an awareness problem when it comes to GBV. The news headlines we are confronted with highlight that violence is a crisis. The real question is whether the systems people rely on every day, including their workplaces, are equipped to provide meaningful support when it is needed.”
“Employees do not leave their experiences at the door when they come to work and employers are often in a unique position to provide access to support, information and practical resources that can make a meaningful difference. Creating workplaces that are equipped to respond appropriately is not only the right thing to do, but also an important investment in the wellbeing and resilience of South Africa’s workforce.”
For employers, the question is no longer whether GBV affects the workplace. The question is whether workplaces are equipped to respond when it does.