South Africa, Jan. 26 -- Benefits have always been positioned as a sign of organisational care, but too often they fail to deliver on that promise. The future demands a different approach, one that is insight driven and responsive to the lived realities of employees. As organisations prepare for 2026 and beyond, the challenge is not simply to update benefits, but to rethink them entirely.

Technology, AI and the shift to individual value

Employees increasingly view benefits as part of a holistic value exchange with their employer. In a workplace culture where people expect to be recognised as individuals, blanket benefit designs no longer suffice.

The key question employees will ask is: "Do these benefits see me, or am I just another ca...