Zora Health / Employer guide / South Africa
Support your experienced employees through menopause, and help them stay at their best.
In a survey of working women in South Africa, 94% reported menopause symptoms and 68% said those symptoms affected their work, yet only 19% had any support at work. Zora Health helps you build practical menopause support, from workplace policies and manager training to confidential care navigation and access to 128+ partner clinics in 16 countries, around your workforce and budget. Companies including Hilton, LinkedIn, Sanofi, HSBC, Mastercard, Carousell and Singapore Management University work with us.
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Five things South African HR leaders should know
- In a study of rural Xhosa women, the mean age at menopause was 50.
- In a 2021 survey of 1,000 working women in South Africa, 68% said menopause symptoms affected their work and 81% wanted support from their employer.
- Women’s labour force participation was 54.9% in the second quarter of 2026, against 64.4% for men.
- The Basic Conditions of Employment Act gives 30 days of paid sick leave in each 36-month cycle for a five-day week. There is no menopause leave.
- The Employment Equity Act bans unfair discrimination on grounds including gender, sex, age and disability.
Why menopause is a business problem for employers
Menopause rarely announces itself at work. It looks like a senior manager who slept four hours, a wave of heat in the middle of a client meeting, a word that will not come in front of the board. Symptoms come and go for years. Many women do not link them to menopause, and fewer tell their manager.
So the cost stays out of your reports. It shows up instead as:
- Work affected. In a 2021 survey of 1,000 working women in South Africa, 94% reported menopause symptoms, the highest of the five countries surveyed, and 68% said symptoms affected their work (Vodafone and Opinium, 2021).
- Silence at work. In the same survey, 52% were too embarrassed to ask for support and 57% felt there was a stigma around talking about menopause at work.
- Little support. Only 19% said their workplace offered any menopause support, while 81% wanted it.
- Physical symptoms. In a study of rural Xhosa women, 80% had hot flushes and 69% night sweats (South African Family Practice, 2005).
What employers gain
Keep the people who know how your business runs
Replacing an employee costs one-half to two times their annual salary, according to Gallup. Women’s labour force participation was 54.9% in the second quarter of 2026 (Stats SA), so many of your experienced employees will go through menopause at work. A written policy, trained managers and quick access to the right doctor can help address barriers that contribute to employee attrition.
Stand out to experienced women
South Africa does not yet have a national menopause policy, and few employers have their own. A clear offer, explained in your benefits pack, stands out to senior women weighing their next move.
Make menopause support financially predictable
Aon projects South Africa’s medical trend at 9.5% for 2026 (Aon, 2026 report), and approved medical scheme increases for 2026 averaged 8.1% (Business Day, September 2026). Much of what helps menopause costs very little: a flexible start time, a fan, a manager who knows what to say.
Zora helps employers set an annual allowance or top-up around your medical scheme, so HR can run the programme within an agreed budget. The benefit works alongside your existing insurance.
Want to see what this would look like for your South African workforce?
What menopause care costs, and what the state pays
Many corporate employees belong to a medical scheme. Schemes must cover prescribed minimum benefit conditions in full, but menopause care depends on each scheme’s own rules and medicine lists.
| Item | Public support | What the employee still carries |
|---|---|---|
| Prescribed minimum benefits | Schemes must pay diagnosis, treatment and care in full, with no co-payment, for listed conditions | We found no confirmation that menopause is a listed condition |
| Menopause medicines | Some schemes publish menopause medicine lists; Bankmed’s 2026 list includes Estrofem, Activelle, Novofem and Provera | A co-payment on medicines priced above the scheme’s reference price |
| Time off for appointments | 30 days of paid sick leave per 36-month cycle for a five-day week | No menopause leave |
From the Medical Schemes Act regulations, Bankmed and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. Cover varies by scheme and option. We could not confirm current private consultation fees. These are published examples, not guaranteed current prices: actual costs depend on cover, clinic, doctor and treatment, so confirm fees with the provider before budgeting.
Only 19% of working women surveyed in South Africa said their workplace offered any menopause support.
We have found no menopause workplace law or national guidance in South Africa. For employers, the practical opportunity is to help employees recognise their symptoms, understand their options and reach appropriate clinical advice sooner.
Menopause support that fits your workforce and budget
You do not need to overhaul your existing health insurance to support employees through menopause. Start with awareness and manager education, add confidential one-to-one support, or introduce a fuller programme across your offices. There is no minimum company size.
Where included in the employer programme, eligible employees can use talks and care navigation without paying Zora a separate fee. Care navigation allowances are set in each proposal. Treatment and other third-party costs are paid separately, either by employees or through the allowance their employer provides.
Companies starting the conversation
Essentials
Expert-led talks for employees and managers, menopause policy templates, manager guides and full access to the Zora app. Up to 2 talks a year.
Employees supported one to one
Navigation
Everything in Essentials, plus confidential one-to-one care navigation and access to our partner clinic network.
Large teams across countries
Complete
Everything in Navigation, plus quarterly anonymised reporting, a dedicated account manager and scheduled review meetings with HR.
Optional add-ons can be added to any programme, subject to availability: hormone diagnostics and telehealth with specialists. Pricing is tailored to your headcount, your countries and the services you choose. Most companies start with a single talk.
Request a proposal See how Zora works for employers
Comparing menopause benefit providers? Use our RFP question bank
Our question bank has 40 questions for multi-country benefits teams, with why each one matters, what a good answer looks like and a scoring sheet for three providers. Six of the questions for menopause support in South Africa:
- Is menopause support included as standard, or only fertility?
- What access do employees get to menopause specialists and hormone testing, and how quickly?
- How does the programme work with our medical scheme options, including menopause medicine lists and reference pricing?
- Do you provide fertility and menopause policy templates for our markets?
- How can an employee get help confidentially without telling their manager?
- What individual-level data does HR see?
Your download link appears as soon as you submit. Zora Health may contact you about employee benefits; see our privacy policy.
Plan your menopause benefit budget
Menopause care allowance planner
Model the annual claims budget for a menopause care allowance. Change any number.
This is a claims budget, not a Zora quotation. Zora’s programme fees, implementation and optional services are separate.
It estimates the annual budget for a menopause care allowance from your eligible workforce, expected utilisation and allowance per employee, and assumes each user claims the full allowance. Eligible employees defaults to 15% as a stand-in for women aged 45 and over; use your own headcount data. The default allowance of ZAR 5,000 is an illustrative figure for private consultations, tests and treatment. Utilisation is an editable assumption, not observed Zora data. For a proposal covering both programme costs and employee benefits, request an employer proposal.
Estimate the potential workforce impact of menopause symptoms
A rough planning scenario. It applies a published estimate to your headcount, so it is not a prediction for your workforce, a measured loss or a forecast of savings from any programme.
Range: ZAR 200,799 to ZAR 607,824 a year, depending on replacement cost.
Assumptions: 13.4% of working women aged 45 to 60 reported at least one adverse work outcome due to menopause symptoms, and those who missed work lost a median of 3 days a year (Faubion et al., Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2023). This was a US clinic sample, so treat it as a rough benchmark for South Africa. The default salary is average monthly earnings in the formal non-agricultural sector, ZAR 29,997 (February 2026), multiplied by 12. Use your own. Replacing an employee costs one-half to two times their annual salary (Gallup, 2019); the headline uses the low end. Absence is valued at salary divided by 250 working days. Exit rate is your own assumption.
Already have corporate health insurance? Here is where Zora fits
Your medical plan may cover some consultations and treatment. Employees still need to recognise their symptoms, understand their options and find a doctor who knows menopause care, and many never get that far.
Zora works alongside your existing insurance and benefits. We help employees get reliable information, navigate their care options and reach suitable specialists, and we give HR manager training, policy templates and, on the Complete programme, anonymised reporting. You strengthen menopause support without replacing your medical plan.
How Zora works
For your employees
Employees join the Zora app with a company code, or single sign-on for larger teams. They can learn about perimenopause and menopause, understand what your benefit covers, book a confidential care navigation call and find partner doctors and specialists.
For HR
- Kick-off, week 1. Agree goals, countries and which employees are eligible.
- Policy and benefit design, weeks 2 to 4. Draft or update your menopause policy and flexible work guidance using our templates.
- Launch, typically weeks 4 to 6. A launch talk for employees and managers, plus a communications pack for HR to send.
- Live support. Employees book care navigation calls and use the Zora app.
- Reporting, every 3 months, on the Complete programme. Anonymised usage, common themes and our recommendations, reviewed with your account manager.
Privacy
On the Complete programme, HR receives anonymised, aggregated reports only: how many employees used the programme, which services they used and the common themes. On every programme, HR never sees an individual employee’s health information, bookings or test results, and employees can get help without telling their manager. Employee data is stored on Amazon Web Services in Singapore and handled in line with Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act.
Clinics and doctors in South Africa
Zora’s clinic and doctor directory does not list providers in South Africa yet. It lists 421 clinics and 1,185 doctors across 25 countries, mostly in Asia Pacific and the Middle East (browse clinics or browse doctors). Employees in South Africa can still use Zora’s education and the Zora app. Ask us how your team in South Africa would use Zora before you launch. See Zora’s employer guides for every country.
Rules and eligibility in South Africa
Sick leave
Under section 22 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, employees get paid sick leave equal to the days they would normally work in six weeks, in each 36-month cycle. In the first six months, they earn one day for every 26 days worked.
Employment Equity Act
Section 6(1) of the Employment Equity Act bans unfair discrimination, directly or indirectly, on grounds including gender, sex, age and disability. Treating an employee unfavourably because of menopause symptoms can raise discrimination risk.
No menopause workplace rules
South Africa does not yet have its own data on the cost of menopause at work or an established workplace policy (Bizcommunity, September 2026). A written company policy is the clearest way to set expectations for managers.
Why employers choose Zora
Companies including Hilton, LinkedIn, Sanofi, HSBC, Mastercard, Carousell and Singapore Management University work with Zora Health. We work alongside your existing insurance, helping employees use the cover they already have and find suitable doctors and specialists based on their needs.
Zora Health helped me to reclaim my confidence to thrive at work!
Questions HR teams ask us
Do South African employers have to give menopause leave?
No. There is no menopause leave. Employees use sick leave, annual leave or flexible arrangements unless their employer offers more.
How much sick leave do employees get?
Under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, paid sick leave equal to six weeks of normal working days in each 36-month cycle, or 30 days for a five-day week.
How does menopause affect work in South Africa?
In a 2021 survey of 1,000 working women, 68% said symptoms affected their work and 52% were too embarrassed to ask for support.
Do medical schemes cover menopause?
It depends on the scheme. We found no confirmation that menopause is a prescribed minimum benefit, but some schemes publish menopause medicine lists.
At what age do South African women reach menopause?
In a study of rural Xhosa women, the mean age was 50. We found no national figure.
Does Zora replace our health insurance?
No. Zora works alongside your insurance. We help employees understand their options, find suitable specialists and use the cover they already have.
How much does menopause support cost an employer?
It depends on the programme, any allowance and expected uptake. Use the budget planner on this page for a first estimate, then ask us for a tailored proposal based on your headcount and countries.
How quickly can we launch?
Typically 4 to 6 weeks from contract to launch, depending on scope and countries. Most companies start with a single talk.
Related guides for South African employers
Build a menopause support programme for your team
Whether you are introducing menopause benefits for the first time or improving an existing programme, tell us your headcount, countries and priorities. We will come back within two working days with suitable services, an indicative budget and a practical rollout plan for your South African team. No obligation.
Sources
- Friderichs and Hall, Postmenopausal symptoms in a group of rural Xhosa women, South African Family Practice, 2005
- Vodafone, Menopause global research report, Opinium, October 2021 (1,000 working women in South Africa)
- Stats SA, Quarterly Labour Force Survey Q2 2026
- Stats SA, Quarterly Employment Statistics, June 2026
- Medical Schemes Act regulations, Regulation 8: prescribed minimum benefits
- Bankmed, Menopause medicine list 2026
- Business Day, Medical scheme fee guidance for 2027, September 2026
- Basic Conditions of Employment Act 1997
- Employment Equity Act, section 6
- Bizcommunity, SA hasn’t built a menopause policy yet, September 2026
- Aon, Global Medical Trend Rates Report 2026
- Gallup, This fixable problem costs US businesses $1 trillion, 2019
- Mayo Clinic News Network, Faubion et al., Impact of menopause symptoms on women in the workplace, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, April 2023