Economist says working from home helps more than fuel savings
Shannon Bold of the Bureau for Economic Research says flexible work-from-home policies could lift productivity and worker wellbeing. She also says money spent on petrol is lost to the wider economy and adds to inflation.
Bold said workers now spend R1,400 more on petrol. She argued that this money leaves the economy and could have been spent elsewhere, which creates an economic cost and slows growth.
She said higher transport costs add to inflation. That filters through to consumers in higher prices, including the price of food. Bold said: "We're going to have slower growth because of that, not to mention the inflation impact."
Bold also said greater flexibility could help productivity. She said employees who spend less time in traffic may produce better quality work. In her view, workers were happier and less grumpy when they did not sit in traffic or worry about transport costs.
Key facts
- Who
- Shannon Bold (economist at the Bureau for Economic Research); Bureau for Economic Research (research body employing Bold)
- What
- Bold argues that flexible work-from-home policies could weigh on economic growth through fuel spending, add to inflation pressures, and benefit productivity and worker wellbeing.
- When
- 11 October 2026
- Where
- South Africa
- Status
- Reported