Two leading scholars from the North-West University (NWU) took centre stage at the International Conference on Emerging Trends in Psychosocial Well-being (ETPW2025), hosted by the University of Namibia. Their contributions highlighted the critical link between decent jobs, mental health and human flourishing – issues at the heart of national productivity and sustainable development.

Delivering the keynote address, Prof Sebastiaan (Ian) Rothmann, director of the Optentia Research Unit at the NWU, warned that the growing prevalence of vulnerable and informal employment poses a serious threat to the well-being of millions of workers across southern Africa.

“In South Africa and Namibia, estimates show that 25% and 32% respectively of all employed people are in vulnerable kinds of employment. They are not doing decent jobs. And many of them are in informal employment, which creates more problems because if you are in informal employment, how do you ensure a proper pension for yourself one day? How do you make sure that there is medical coverage that is of high quality, and so on?”

Prof Rothmann emphasised that decent and meaningful work is fundamental to both mental health and human dignity.

“When work becomes a source of anxiety rather than fulfilment, it undermines both the individual and society. Decent work gives people dignity, direction and a sense of purpose – all essential for mental health and productivity,” he said.

Also representing the NWU was Dr Vedhna Dayanand-Lalla, a senior lecturer in social work and researcher with Optentia. Dr Lalla gave a presentation on community-based approaches to psychosocial well-being, exploring how social work interventions can strengthen mental health support systems and empower vulnerable populations.

Her research aligns with the mission of Optentia to generate evidence-based knowledge that enhances human potential and societal well-being – reflecting the commitment of the NWU to advancing psychosocial health research and collaboration across Africa.

Anjonet Jordaan, project manager at Optentia, said that by sharing insights from the cutting-edge research by the NWU, the two academics reinforced the importance of collaboration between African institutions in tackling the complex psychosocial challenges of the 21st century.

She added that this participation aligns with the internationalisation vision of the NWU – to position the institution as a globally connected university that contributes meaningfully to knowledge creation, social transformation and sustainable development across borders.

“Through research partnerships, academic exchanges and conferences such as the ETPW2025, the NWU continues to strengthen its footprint on the African continent and beyond,” she said.

Photo: From left are Prof Ian Rothmann, Dr Vedhna Dayanand-Lalla and Lynn Booysen from the NWU’s Optentia Research Unit at the International Conference on Emerging Trends in Psychosocial Well-being.