Feel it - it is here! The World Cup has begun amid a flurry of flags, tourists, anthems and Ayobaness. Everyone is getting involved, and South Africans are proving they will do whatever it takes to be at the games!

Independent research agency Freshly Ground Insights recently investigated how people planned to get out of work during the World Cup to go to the games. A startling 45% of the sample told us that they would claim to be sick, with some claiming that they would actually buy their sick notes.

Naturally, we were intrigued. Who knew that doctors’ notes could simply be bought? Was it as easy as picking up something at a supermarket? Was it a case of “bread – tick, milk – tick, bronchitis – tick”?
Freshly Ground Insights conducted further research into this trend. We wanted to know whether people knew doctors who sold sick notes, how much they thought the going price should be, and how much they would actually pay for such a document. The research was conducted among 564 respondents representing a cross-section of the South African population.

A startling 59% claimed to know a doctor willing to sell them a sick note. Of those people, 73% estimated the cost of such a note to be between R100 – R300, with 5% estimating R1500, and a generous 4% estimating R2000.

When asked what they themselves would be prepared to pay, 62% of respondents suggested modest prices between R100 – R200. 4% would offer between R2000 – R3000 to get out of work and into the stadiums, and the highest bidder came in at a hefty R4000. A very determined 6% said they would pay any amount necessary. However, the majority remained on the more economical side of the scale, with R300 being the average amount across the entire sample.

It certainly appears that the sale of sick notes is a burgeoning industry, and one which seems set to enjoy a bumper month! To those still looking for a way to cash in on the World Cup, may we suggest a white coat, a stethoscope and some illegible writing . . .

Written by Emma Dicks