Businesses heading into 2026 will face a growing challenge that money and technology alone can’t solve: how to keep employees fulfilled enough to remain productive, according to Yesh Surjoodeen, managing director of HP Southern Africa.
“Employees are the core of every business; their skills and competence drive not only their own growth but the success of the company,” Surjoodeen said. “Yet the reality is that work, as it exists today, is simply not working for many people.”
Global data from HP’s third annual Work Relationship Index (WRI) underscores his assessment. Only 20 percent of knowledge workers worldwide now say they have a healthy relationship with work, an eight-percentage-point drop from 2024.
Fulfilment has sunk to historic lows, with the most dramatic decline among business leaders themselves. Across industries and regions, 62 percent of desk-based workers say demands and expectations have increased over the past year, leaving many employees feeling “overburdened, undervalued and under-resourced,” the report shows.
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The pressures are pronounced in sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa and Nigeria, where economic uncertainty and high unemployment compound workplace stress. South Africa’s jobless rate stood at 33.2 percent in the second quarter of 2025, yet engagement studies suggest that only about one quarter of workers find meaning or fulfilment in their roles.
Surveys indicate that 85 percent of South African employees experience work-related stress, while 77 percent of Nigerian bankers report moderate stress levels, highlighting the growing mental-health toll on workers in both markets.
“Too often, workplaces become pressure cookers rather than places of purpose,” Surjoodeen said. “The relentless drive for productivity overshadows employees’ need for balance, recognition and psychological safety, especially in economies already under strain.”
Leadership has emerged as a decisive factor. The WRI found that fulfilled workers are three times more likely to feel connected to colleagues and maintain work–life balance, but trust in management remains weak: only 16 percent of knowledge workers globally trust senior leaders to make the right decisions for employees, a 13-point decline from a year earlier.
“Leadership can make or break fulfilment,” Surjoodeen said. “High-EQ leadership is a powerful driver of engagement, but it remains in short supply in many large organisations.”
Technology, particularly artificial intelligence, is seen as a support tool rather than a cure-all. The WRI shows that 42 percent of workers who report a healthy relationship with work use AI tools daily, suggesting automation can ease routine tasks and allow employees to focus on higher-impact work when deployed responsibly.
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“Technology alone cannot close the fulfilment gap, but it can be a powerful catalyst,” Surjoodeen said. “When employees have the right digital tools, they feel more connected to their work and better able to contribute meaningfully. The goal isn’t to replace human potential, it’s to amplify purpose, autonomy and connection.”
As companies set priorities for 2026, Surjoodeen said organisations must place employee well-being at the heart of productivity strategies. “Many workers no longer trust that leaders truly understand what they need, and that should be a wake-up call,” he said.
“Businesses that listen to their people, invest in supportive leadership and use technology to remove low-value tasks will build stronger, more productive teams.”
In a tense global labour environment, particularly in high-stress economies like South Africa and Nigeria, companies that foster connection and purpose stand to gain the most.
“Ultimately, when people feel fulfilled, they bring more energy, creativity and commitment to their work,” Surjoodeen said. “Fulfilment is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s the new benchmark for productivity.”