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The rising health challenges facing young professionals

PPS’s Motshabi Nomvethe explores why claims among members under 35 have nearly doubled, and what the insurance sector must do to better protect this generation.
Written by
Motshabi Nomvethe
Published on
November 17, 2025
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In recent years, the insurance industry has noticed a shift that few expected: a sharp rise in sickness and permanent incapacity claims among young graduate professionals.

The assumption that health risks belong mainly to older age groups no longer holds true. In fact, as Motshabi Nomvethe, Head of Segment and Growth at PPS, explains, data shows that claims among members aged 35 and under have almost doubled between 2019 and 2024, an industry-wide trend that demands both reflection and action.

Motshabi believes the reasons behind this rise lie squarely in the way young professionals now live and work. “Our lifestyles have changed significantly,” she explains. “We sit more, we move less, our diets are poorer, and the current economic climate creates enormous stress. All of this affects musculoskeletal health, conditions that can become chronic if not treated early.”

She emphasises that many of these conditions, once assumed to be preventable through basic activity, are now becoming severe enough to lead to long-term incapacity among people in their late 20s and early 30s. “We were never made to hunch over laptops for hours,” she says. “Mobility doesn’t mean running marathons. It can be as simple as standing up every ten minutes, stretching your body, or walking during online meetings.”

But it’s not only musculoskeletal conditions. Cancer, traditionally linked to older age, has shown a noticeable increase among young professionals too. Motshabi believes the key is awareness and early action: knowing your family medical history, seeking earlier screenings where necessary, and being intentional about lifestyle choices. “Something as simple as chronic physical inactivity can influence cancer risk. Who would have thought? But that’s what the research now shows.”

Smoking, alcohol consumption, and stress compound these risks, making moderation and deliberate well-being strategies essential.

The mental health dimension - Mental illness is now one of the fastest growing claim categories across all age groups, and young professionals are deeply affected. This mirrors PPS’s long-running Student Graduate Index, which has shown a steady rise in mental-health-related concerns from university students through to early-career professionals.

Several factors collide here: loneliness, comparison culture amplified by social media, cyberbullying, and the relentless pace of work. “In a world where we are so interconnected, we have never been lonelier,” Motshabi reflects. “Scrolling all day makes you feel informed but not connected.”

Young professionals, often working alone, away from their home communities, struggle to build meaningful support structures. Combine that with demanding workplaces and the result is burnout, anxiety and depression.

According to Motshabi, the solution begins with returning to human basics: personal connection, supportive leadership, and firm boundaries. “Work-life balance is not 50/50,” she notes. “But you teach people how to treat you. Set boundaries. Know when to push back, and when to rest. Ultimately, your mental state is your responsibility.”

“We want our members to thrive, not just survive. Healthier lifestyles improve quality of life, reduce long-term claims, and ultimately build a more resilient professional community.”

Motshabi Nomvethe
Head of Segment and Growth at PPS

Why young professionals need to plan earlier - Motshabi believes young graduates need to reframe how they think about health, finances and protection. “Use your youth to your advantage,” she says. “A financial advisor is not for the rich or the old. Ideally, you should see one before your first pay check.”

She advocates for understanding oneself, what type of physical activity works for you, whether meditation, yoga, gym or walking, and sticking to it consistently. Plans will evolve over time, but the foundation must start early. Importantly, she warns against comparing financial or lifestyle journeys with peers. “Work your own plan. Be very deliberate.”

Adapting benefits for younger professionals - As a mutual organisation created “by professionals, for professionals,” PPS continues to evolve its benefits, particularly as younger members face health risks earlier than expected.

Motshabi points to several examples:

  • Sickness and Permanent Incapacity benefit: PPS pays from the first day of illness, if you have been booked off for seven days or longer (on the seven day waiting plan) without restrictive conditions. “Because professionals cannot afford to be without income for a week. We want them to recover properly and return to society and the economy.”
  • Cancer-focused enhancements: Recognising the spike in cancer claims, PPS introduced targeted therapy benefit on the critical illness benefit to ensure members can access newer, less invasive, more effective treatments, helping them return to work sooner and healthier.
  • A holistic understanding of the professional: PPS recognises that a professional’s impact extends beyond themselves, to their employees, patients, clients and families. Supporting one person supports an entire ecosystem.

Educating and empowering - One of the strongest themes in our conversation was PPS’s commitment to financial and lifestyle education. Through partnerships with professional associations, events for students and young professionals, media outreach, and the PPS Academy, they aim to demystify financial planning and shift insurance away from being viewed as a grudge purchase.

They also support members and advisors through wellness programmes, trauma counselling, debt support, CPD training, practice management and even quarterly healthy living challenges. “We don’t just want to admire the problem,” Motshabi adds. “We want to help solve it.”

Professionals typically live much longer than the average South African, but the goal is for them to live longer and healthier. For Motshabi, this is where PPS’s role becomes more than offering products, it becomes about partnership.

“We want our members to thrive, not just survive. Healthier lifestyles improve quality of life, reduce long-term claims, and ultimately build a stronger, more resilient professional community.”

Her message to young professionals is simple: start early, take responsibility, seek professional guidance, build good habits, and never underestimate the long-term benefits of small, consistent actions.

Because, as Motshabi reminds us, “When you know better, you do better.”

WHAT IF YOU STRESSED LESS WHEN YOUR CLIENT NEEDS TO CLAIM?

BE STRESSLESS, WITH THE PPS SICKNESS AND PERMANENT INCAPACITY BENEFIT

*Members holding qualifying life-risk products share in the profit and loss of PPS through the notional PPS Profit-Share AccountTM, which vests on retirement from age 60 or death. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future performance. PPS is a licensed insurer conducting life insurance business, a licensed controlling company and an authorised FSP. Ts&Cs apply.

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