Eswatini employees urged to prepare for retirement early
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Times of Eswatini
Illustrative image · RDNE Stock project · Pexels · Licence PexelsConsultant Emmanuel Zvada recommends that employees prepare for retirement from the start of their working lives, rather than relying solely on their pension. This preparation should account for the loss of income, benefits and social status after retirement, he said at a conference in Eswatini, according to the Times of Eswatini.
Emmanuel Zvada, managing consultant at Third Eye Africa in Zimbabwe, called on employers to prepare their employees for retirement from the start of their working lives, rather than waiting until they are about to leave. He was speaking on Thursday in Ezulwini at the annual conference of Eswatini’s Institute of People Management (IPM), the Times of Eswatini reports.
Emmanuel Zvada warned that pension schemes should be seen only as a safety net, not as the sole means of maintaining one’s standard of living once monthly pay stops. He also stressed that retirement brings the loss of a job title, responsibilities, benefits and the recognition associated with employment, aspects with which some employees strongly identify.
The consultant urged human resources professionals to make retirement preparation part of employees’ career journey, alongside recruitment, onboarding and skills development. Organisational psychologist Carla Dos Santos also invited them to take an interest in employees’ personal circumstances beyond their pay and performance, according to the Times of Eswatini.
The call comes after shortcomings were identified in pensions managed by Fairlife on 15 October, and Jabulani Nxumalo’s appointment to the board of Eswatini’s provident fund, announced on 28 October.
