Discovery South Africa

A guided meditation on broadening the mind with Vani Pavadai, a meditation teacher with the Art of Living Foundation.

To really determine the health of a business, we must take a holistic view – one that includes the health of its employees. Their health determines their productivity and a company’s growth and potential. Every year South Africa loses billions of rands to absenteeism and a huge proportion of that is linked to employees falling mentally or physically ill. How do corporate organisations combat these losses? Azania talks to Employee Wellness experts Nonkululeko Pitje (Discovery’s Head of Employee Health Solutions) and Dr Tshidi Gule (founder of the Medispace Lifestyle Institute) to explore these dynamics and the holistic solutions that boost employee wellness. Healthy Employees And Healthy Businesses Transcript.pdf — PDF (195.9 KB)

Azania interviews two brave young women – Gugu Masondo and Dr Nokukhanya Khanyile – about their personal journeys through mental illness. Each has a unique journey, one that led them to connect and start public conversations aimed at demystifying mental illness and addressing the stigmas faced by those who suffer from mental health conditions.

Have you ever felt sad or down, found it hard to concentrate, had excessive fear or worry? Ever had mood changes with highs or lows, significant tiredness and maybe withdrawn from loved ones? Have you ever felt unable to cope with daily problems and stress or turned to substance abuse to get by? If you have concerns about your mental health, you’re not alone. Azania interviews Dr Noluthando Nematswerani (Discovery Health's Head of the Centre for Clinical Excellence) and Cassey Chambers (Operations Director at the South African Depression and Anxiety Group - SADAG) to explain mental illness and its management in a way that’s accessible to us all.

Azania speaks to the dynamic Dr Sebolelo Seape, a psychiatrist whose passion for empowering others towards a deep understanding of mental illness and mental health knows no bounds. She practices in Parktown and Soweto, is presently the Chair of PsychMg, and also the President-elect of the South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP). She serves on multiple advisory boards and strives to teach us all about mental health through her frequent radio and television appearances around this theme.

The mental wellbeing of a pregnant woman will affect the way in which her pregnancy progresses and also impact her unborn child on many levels. So what does the stress and worry that we all feel in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic mean for all the mothers to be out there? Professor Renata Schoeman is a psychiatrist and Head of the MBA in Healthcare Leadership at the University of Stellenbosch Business School. She is also an alumna of the Discovery Foundation and has contributed extensively to mental healthcare in South Africa. And she is particularly passionate about the subject of mental health in pregnancy for a very special reason – she is a new mom! She gave birth to her little boy very recently … and found herself in her final trimester when COVID19 reached to our shores.