South Africa

Offering medical aid in South Africa is not mandatory, however, providing these plans can greatly enhance the healthcare experience for employees and ensure access to necessary medical services.

In South Africa, Remote provides a variety of local healthcare plans, tailored to different needs. The primary distinction among these options pertains to their Day-to-Day coverage.

Employees can utilize the allocated funds in their Medical Savings Accounts (MSA) for most outpatient treatments. However, when their MSA funds are depleted, they would require an extended benefit to maintain access to Day-to-Day coverage.

The Saver plan offers basic coverage with no extension once MSA funds are depleted. The Priority plan provides a limited extension of Day-to-Day coverage once the MSA’s annual threshold is reached. The Comprehensive plan offers an unlimited extension of Day-to-Day coverage after reaching the MSA’s annual threshold, ensuring continuous access to outpatient treatments.

If you would like more insight into fair equity and benefits best practices, you can download our Global Benefits Guide here !

Offering mental health benefits is not mandatory in this country, but providing the benefit can significantly enhance the emotional well-being and overall productivity of employees.

Remote offers a comprehensive employee mental wellbeing platform in partnership with one of the top-rated employee mental wellbeing providers. This platform is available on desktop and mobile apps and includes 1-to-1 therapy with a curated pool of top-quality therapists in over 35 languages. The advanced matching service finds each employee the right therapist within 48 hours, boasting a 98% success rate. Employees receive a personal wellbeing profile with tailored recommendations and information to track progress. The platform also offers a curated self-guided content library with audio mindfulness and meditation sessions, guided yoga videos, talks, podcasts on workplace wellbeing, and micro-learning content series for managers. Additionally, there are 24/7 mental health helplines for immediate support when an employee is struggling.

Mental health program benefits may be offered to the employees from among 5 different plans. Offering mental health benefits is optional, but it can greatly enhance employee well-being and productivity.

It is essential to be aware that in certain countries, mental health benefits may be categorized as ‘Benefits in Kind’ (BIK). This categorization means that the monthly premiums paid for the benefit might be counted as part of the employee’s taxable income according to the local tax laws.

When mental health benefits are offered, they must be provided equally to all employees in the respective country.

Remote offers a mandatory Provident Fund in South Africa as part of its Basic Benefits package to ensure compliance with local retirement savings practices. This Provident Fund applies to all employees.