Journal · 2026-10-08 · 6 min
Mental health at work in South Africa: the first conversation
What to say, what not to ask, and which crisis lines to keep on the wall and in your phone.
October puts mental health on posters. November should still have the phone numbers. Awareness without a next step is decoration.
A first conversation is short. Thank them for saying something. Ask what they need from work this week. Offer the EAP if you have one. Offer a crisis line if they are not safe. Do not become their counsellor.
Do not ask colleagues to “keep an eye” in a way that becomes gossip. Do adjust deadlines in writing so the support is real.
Put these where people can find them without announcing why: SADAG suicide crisis line 0800 567 567. Cipla Mental Health Helpline 0800 456 789, SMS 31393. SADAG office line 011 234 4837 (08:00–20:00). WhatsApp options are listed at sadag.org.
Train managers once, briefly, and then back them when they protect someone’s privacy. The culture is the backup, not the slide deck.
HealthCafé repeats the “not medical advice” line on every mental-health lesson on purpose. A course can teach. It cannot hold a crisis.