South Africa marked the 2026 World Day for Safety and Health at Work in Mbombela with renewed calls to strengthen labour inspection and enforcement systems, while placing greater focus on psychosocial risks in workplaces. Government, employers, workers and the International Labour Organization (ILO) jointly emphasized that workplace safety must go beyond physical hazards to include mental and emotional well-being.
Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Judith Nemadzinga-Tshabalala Sibiya highlighted that psychosocial risks such as stress, harassment, violence and job insecurity should be treated as workplace hazards rather than personal issues. She stressed that a workplace cannot be considered safe if it is psychologically unsafe.
ILO findings shared during the event highlighted the global impact of psychosocial risks, linking an estimated 840,000 deaths annually to work-related mental health conditions and related illnesses. The presentation reinforced that psychosocial hazards must be managed with the same seriousness as physical risks through prevention, stronger labour inspection and employer accountability.
Technical inputs from the Department of Employment and Labour outlined practical steps such as integrating psychosocial risk management into occupational health and safety systems, improving risk assessments, strengthening reporting mechanisms and encouraging worker participation. Stakeholders agreed that social dialogue is essential to balancing productivity with worker protection.
South Africa is also strengthening its Inspection and Enforcement Services through recruitment and capacity-building to improve compliance monitoring and risk intervention. The country’s 2024–2029 Occupational Health and Safety Strategy further aims to embed psychosocial risk management into national frameworks, combining awareness, prevention and enforcement.
The commemoration reaffirmed a broader commitment to ensuring safe, healthy and dignified workplaces, with leaders emphasizing that psychosocial safety is essential for sustainable productivity, social justice and overall economic stability.
