While major corporations in the West are scaling back remote work, the practice is just beginning to gain momentum in Africa. On the continent, remote work remains marginal, concentrated in tech, finance, and non-governmental organizations, and largely confined to metropolitan areas like Nairobi, Lagos, and Abidjan. While precise data is limited, several indicators point to the challenges that must be overcome for it to expand on the continent.

According to data from the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) 2023 "Facts and Figures" report, 37% of the African population used the internet in 2023. Additionally, wired broadband subscriptions remain extremely rare, at less than 10% of households, despite massive investments. Other reports from the UN agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs) confirm technological inequalities. The data shows that 11% of the African population is covered by 5G, while 4G coverage reaches only half the population and 14% still have no access to a mobile broadband network.

According to the World Economic Forum, 64% of companies in sub-Saharan Africa say they want to develop digital jobs, particularly through remote work, but structural obstacles are slowing progress. For its part, the GSMA, an international association of mobile phone operators, points out that while more than half of Africans now own a smartphone, the equipment truly suitable for remote work remains largely inaccessible, as do adequate domestic conditions such as a desk, a reliable power supply, or a quiet environment.

Institutionally, managerial culture remains strongly rooted in in-person presence. Few countries have a clear legal framework for remote work, creating uncertainty for both employers and employees. Despite these challenges, interest is growing on the continent. Remote work is seen as a lever for inclusion, particularly for women or residents of peripheral areas, and a way to reduce commute times in congested cities. Hybrid work experiments are beginning to emerge, offering more flexibility to some urban employees.

Société Générale and its A shockwave 

In early July 2025, Société Générale sent shockwaves through the corporate world by officially terminating its collective agreement on remote work, which had been in place since 2021. This significant reversal drastically reduces the number of authorized remote work days and reinforces the requirement for on-site presence. The change, widely reported by several media outlets, has sparked an uproar within the banking group and beyond.

Weeks before terminating the remote work agreement, CEO Slawomir Krupa laid out the company's intentions in a message to employees. He emphasized the need to limit remote work to one day per week, or even less, depending on the department, and to reaffirm the importance of a physical presence in the office. According to Krupa, collaboration and creativity — essential pillars of collective performance — depend on direct, informal exchanges that are difficult to maintain behind a screen. He also underscored the importance of preserving company culture and cohesion, which he believes have been weakened by prolonged team dispersion.

This communication, widely seen as an ultimatum, drew an immediate reaction from labor unions, who were already concerned that the 2021 collective agreement was being challenged without negotiation. Social tensions quickly escalated, with calls for mobilization.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, remote work emerged as an ideal solution to continue operations while adhering to health and safety measures. It prevented a total economic shutdown, saving jobs and businesses. For many, remote work was a new kind of freedom, offering a better work-life balance, reducing commute times, and providing a more flexible work environment. However, after more than three years of large-scale experimentation, this idyllic vision is clashing with more complex realities. Remote work has revealed its limitations, and several companies are now hardening their policies.

Western Giants Push for a Return to the Office

Société Générale is not an exception to a broader trend among major Western companies that are tightening their remote work policies in favor of a massive return to the office. In the United States, Google now requires employees to be on-site at least three days a week, with threats of penalties for those who do not comply. According to multiple sources, the tech giant views this return as essential to strengthening collaboration and company culture, which they believe have been diminished by prolonged remote work.

At Goldman Sachs, a five-day-a-week office presence is required. In 2021, CEO David Solomon called remote work "an aberration that we are going to correct as soon as possible." He argued that a return to the office would preserve productivity and team dynamics. JP Morgan Chase is following a similar line, limiting remote work to just a few days a month. In March, CEO Jamie Dimon asked his troops to return to the office full time, stating that in-person work is crucial for his bank's success. "I've been working seven days a goddamn week since Covid, and I come in and where's everybody else? Whether they're here and there and the Zooms, and the Zoom don't show up," he said.

Amazon is also pushing its thousands of employees to return on-site. In September 2024, the e-commerce giant announced to its staff that they would be required to be 100% in-person starting in January 2025, a shift from the previous mandatory three days per week.

In Europe, major groups are adopting the same approach. Since mid-September 2021, Volkswagen has urged its employees to significantly reduce remote work, inviting them to return to the office to stimulate creativity and informal communication. Similarly, BNP Paribas has revised its policy, limiting remote work to a few days per week and emphasizing the importance of in-person presence to maintain team spirit. These companies share the belief that physical presence plays a key role in cultivating a vibrant company culture, fostering spontaneous exchanges, and strengthening employee engagement, all of which they feel are weakened by prolonged geographic dispersion.

Challenges Revealed by Widespread Remote Work

Several factors explain this shift. For many managers, in-person work is more conducive to innovation and informal exchanges. These unplanned interactions, which can happen over a coffee break, are difficult to replicate behind a screen.

Additionally, remote management has proven to be more complex. Controlling, motivating, and supporting dispersed teams requires new skills and constant adaptation, which can sometimes be insufficient or ineffective. The head of JP Morgan explained, "Many of you, when you're on the damn Zoom, do the following: you look at your emails, you send messages making fun of a colleague, you don't listen, you don't read the slides... of course that hinders efficiency, creativity, and is impolite!"

The consequences of remote work on employees' mental health are also a growing concern. A 2024 BizSpace survey of 2,000 employees in the UK found that 64% believe their mental health has deteriorated while working remotely, 57% report regularly working outside of set hours, and 49% feel a significant sense of isolation. Globally, the 2023 WorldMetrics report revealed that 71% of remote workers have experienced burnout, 40% report feeling constantly tired, and 48% have great difficulty disconnecting after their workday.

A systematic review published in July 2024 by the peer-reviewed journal  Plos One on PubMed confirms these findings, establishing a link between prolonged remote work and an increase in anxiety, insomnia, and depression. Researchers also pointed to problems with "presenteeism," where employees work despite health issues, which can ultimately impact their productivity. Furthermore, a Flair-HR report in January 2024 indicated that 86% of full-time remote workers suffer from burnout, and 81% check their emails outside of work hours, with 63% doing so on weekends and 34% on vacation. This digital overload is accompanied by a blurring of professional and personal life, with 52% of remote workers struggling to set clear boundaries.

The question of remote work productivity remains a source of debate, even though some surveys show an increase in efficiency. For example, a FlexOS study revealed that 66% of managers noticed increased productivity, and 48.5% of those managers saw a "significant" increase in their hybrid or remote teams. However, this contrasts with other analyses, including a Stanford University study, which found that in some professional contexts, productivity can drop by 8% to 19% when transitioning to remote work.

This contrast highlights that remote work does not have a universal effect. For some employees, the home environment provides concentration and flexibility, while for others, it amplifies stress and exhaustion and hurts the collaboration needed for certain jobs.

The decision by Société Générale, followed by other large groups, signals a profound shift in how remote work is perceived and organized in the West. This work model, long presented as a revolution, is now confronting complex realities. In Africa, where remote work is still an emerging practice, the challenges are numerous, but expectations are high. The path to widespread remote work will likely be long, especially since the Western example is encouraging caution.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou