Discovery South Africa

Yuppiechef is one of South Africa’s iconic brands. Co-founders Shane Dryden and Andrew Smith share their success story and hacks about visual marketing, logos and creating love for a brand. Discovery Business Insurance

Clinical psychologist Dessy Tzoneva says it’s impossible to deny that being human comes with many limitations. People we love can become ill and die. We might suffer illness or serious injury. Across the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought these realities to the fore for us all, also acting as a catalyst to widespread human suffering. People are living with loneliness, fear, anxiety, great social and financial uncertainty, a prolonged loss of freedoms and more. With COVID-19’s effects set to impact our lives for months to come, Dessy expertly talks us through making sense of suffering, before sharing brilliant insights on how to cope at this time and always.

Around 1.2 million people work as employees in private households in South Africa. These individuals provide an invaluable service in their roles as domestic workers, gardeners, drivers and caregivers. COVID-19 restrictions have eased, and household employees are returning to work. However, both employers and employees share concerns around the health of the household during COVID-19 and into the future. Could access to very affordable private, primary healthcare for household employees – that also provides cover for COVID-19 – make all the difference? Alec Hogg interviews Discovery’s Head of Employee Health Solutions, Nonkululeko Pitje, about Discovery Primary Care for household employees, a product that brings excellent healthcare to household employee and their dependants. This innovative, affordable product has never been more relevant. Transcript - Alec Hogg and Nonku Pitje.pdf — PDF (49.0 KB)

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought massive uncertainty to South African and global businesses. Psychologist James Gower says that up to 80% of employees – especially those working remotely – feel the need to prove to that they are working hard. With fear of retrenchment looming large for many employees, people are burning the candle at both ends to prove that they are worth keeping. Gower adds that, on average, those working from home are working nearly four additional days a month. Many employees also feel that managers have begun to disregard working hours, making demands of them at all hours and causing workloads to double or triple. Employees feel that they need to be online and available as much as possible. As restrictions ease and these exhausted employees return to the workplace, the risk of a burnt-out workforce is more real than ever before. What do we all need to know to take care of our mental and physical health at this challenging time and recognise the signs of burnout before we suffer serious harm? Transcript - James Gower Burnout and remote work with James Gower.pdf — PDF (41.9 KB)

This podcast is a must-listen for business owners navigating the uncertainty around bringing employees safely back to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr Tshidi Gule – employee wellness specialist and Chief Medical Officer of the MLI Group – says that while COVID-19 has disrupted life on every level, the show must go on. She is working hard to help businesses to navigate the uncertain environment they now find themselves in and to understand how to address both employee physical and mental health needs. Benefit from Dr Gule’s top insights in assisting employers to make sound decisions at this critical time in our history.

Meet Alexandria Procter, founder and CEO of DigsConnect, a startup that began in university and which received the largest seed round of a student startup in South African history, just a year into their existence. From gimmicks to smart staff choices, she shares her key learnings on how to attract investors. Discovery Business Insurance

Expert lawyers, Lwando Xaso and Graeme Wilson share their passion for the law. How to be compliant in business, from tax and employment, to constitutional legalities and ethics. Discovery Business Insurance

Medicine is a stressful profession under normal circumstances. Medical personnel are even more at risk of burnout so under crisis conditions such as during a pandemic. Psychotherapist Louisa Niehaus, looks at how healthcare professionals can cope during the time of extreme anxiety and uncertainty brought by COVID-19. This is a time in which the demands of the work can lead to exhaustion, cynicism and perceived inefficiency. Caring for patients who are sick and deteriorating can be very stressful and deeply saddening. Louisa shares insight into acute stress reactions and how doctors can help themselves through the present and future reality.

As lockdown alert levels have eased, household employees have been allowed to return to the homes in which they work. They return to a “new normal” that has raised many questions around how to keep every member of the household as healthy as possible. Household employees may care for the home, for an elderly or ill family member, for a child, or perform another function. They may live with their employer or come and go. Dr Nompumelelo Ndaba of the National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH) shares the practical steps and insights needed day to day, to ensure the health of the household going forward. Dr Ndaba has been interviewed by Discovery for the Discovery COVID-19 podcast series.

Sizakele Marutlulle has over 23 years of experience in the business leadership, brand building and people development. She shares how how a team can weigh you down or help you to soar. Listen to her insights into how business owners should choose wisely to build the best teams. Discovery Business Insurance