There may be light at the end of the lockdown tunnel. Thanks to widespread vaccination programmes, some countries are nearing herd immunity, and while Delta variant Covid cases still continue apace, hospitalisation and death rates in those countries has slowed significantly. South Africa’s vaccination programme has finally kicked into gear, and if all goes to plan, as of Q1 2022, we too should be nearing herd immunity. As we head towards the ‘old normal’ then, what happens to the idea of work-from-home?

A study from recruitment firm Michael Page found that 63% of professionals based in South Africa say their productivity has increased while working from home. As a result of productivity increases, anecdotal evidence suggests that last year, some companies let employees flee the metropolitan areas, find themselves more peaceful surroundings and continue working remotely, with meetings held over Zoom and Teams. And so, the clogged highway commute is a thing of the past, as corporates have downsized their office footprint when leases came up for renewal. Or is it?