Tag: Oz Desai

Life looks a whole lot different since the dawn of COVID-19 – face masks, elbow greetings, temperature checks at practically every entrance, and an overwhelming amount of sanitiser dominating our days. And business travel definitely isn’t an exception.

COVID-19 has changed a lot of things – including the way that companies and employees approach business travel. Just over a year since COVID-19 made its presence known in South Africa, it would seem as though some of these changes are fleeting, while others are here to stay.

Business as usual has been flipped on its head in 2020. What was for many companies second nature, sending employees across country and continent to meet with clients and colleagues, sign new business and share knowledge has become a more measured and complex exercise.

Business travel will have an important role to play as the global economy recovers from the massive knock-on effect of COVID-19. The US and the Eurozone experienced record-breaking declines of 32.9% and 40% in GDP, respectively, in the second quarter. And, although the extent of South Africa’s economic downturn has yet to be established with the official GDP figures only being released in a few weeks, we know the impact in our country has been severe.

If you’ve ever felt stressed or anxious about business travels, know that you are not alone. In fact, experts have come up with a new term to describe this very common phenomenon. It’s called 'Permanxiety'. Coined in 2017 by global travel industry platform Skift, permanxiety refers to a permanent state of anxiety widely experienced across the world.

With economic growth considered the main driver of corporate travel, emerging economies such as South Africa are increasingly adding to the international pool of business travellers. Predicting positive growth in 2020, analysts say there is good news for South African SMEs, whose bargaining power they see rising with the market’s size and spend.

Is your company still relying on Excel worksheets or – dare we say it - using pen and paper to calculate travel expenses? If so, you’re not alone. According Certify, a US-based travel and expense company, 49% of companies today are still using manual systems for their expense reporting.