The Mother load: Why postpartum depression and burnout are becoming workplace issues

More than 40% of South African women report poor mental health. For new mothers, that number is just the beginning. Postpartum depression (PPD) affects as many as one in three women in South Africa and remains one of the most invisible productivity killers in our workforce.

Because here’s the thing no one wants to say out loud: burnout doesn’t start in the boardroom. It starts in the nursery, a few weeks after birth, navigating the care and feeding of the baby and a performance review around the corner.

A silent burden:

By the time they’re 18–25, 56% of women are already experiencing extreme burnout, according to Deloitte. That’s likely before marriage, children, and senior titles. It’s the result of a world that expects women to perform emotional labour, shoulder caregiving duties and endure gender bias, all while pretending none of it hurts.

For mothers, the pressure only deepens. The expectation is to "bounce back" after childbirth, to return to work grateful, productive, and unchanged. But postpartum depression doesn’t clock out when maternity leave ends. And it certainly doesn’t care if there’s a quarterly report due.

How this becomes an economic problem:

This isn’t just a women’s issue. It’s a business issue. According to Stats SA, women make up 50.4% of the working-age population but their labour force participation is 55,8%, compared to 65,6% for men. That’s not because women aren’t ambitious, it’s because systems aren’t built adequately to support them through the mental, physical, and emotional complexities of womanhood. If companies are serious about equity, they must treat women’s health and roles as a workplace priority.

“We need to normalise conversations around postpartum depression, menstrual wellbeing, and mental health in the workplace. Women shouldn’t have to hide their pain to keep their jobs. Empathy and practical support aren’t perks, they’re the foundations of a thriving team,” says Bernise Games, Spokesperson for YuLife South Africa.

At YuLife, we believe that caring for your team starts with listening to their real, often unspoken needs. That’s why we advocate for solutions like:

• Anonymous mental health check-ins to catch issues before they escalate.

• Support groups for mothers returning to work.

• Leadership coaching focused on emotional intelligence and gender bias

  
  

Imagine a workplace where menstruation and hormonal health isn’t a taboo, where postpartum care is part of reintegration and where burnout isn’t considered a badge of honour.

Burnout often impacts women more than we think. It starts earlier than we think, and it lasts longer than we admit. But with the right care and policies in place, it doesn’t have to be inevitable. Through care and consideration, we can build workplaces that don’t just employ women but truly support them. And that is always great for the bottom line.