Tag: FinancialWellness

You’re lying on the couch after a long day, scrolling through Instagram. Someone is drinking cocktails in Bali. Someone else is unboxing a new handbag. A 25-year-old is smugly explaining the “five things she did to become financially free”. Another reel tells you that your savings “should” reach a certain number by 40. That number makes your stomach drop. You put your phone down and feel vaguely as though you’re failing at life.

Nearly half of under-60s with retirement products have dipped into their savings pots, mostly to get through the month. Our 2026 Retirement Insights Survey suggests the right response is empathy and better design. Nobody raids their retirement savings unless they are facing difficult economic pressure today. That is worth saying upfront. The two-pot retirement system has become one of the most moralised subjects in South African money conversations, and the moralising has taught us very little.

National Wills Week may have ended on 18 September 2026, but the questions it raises remain relevant long after the campaign. A will is one of those tasks that many people intend to get around to “one day”. Yet, when that day comes, clear instructions can make an enormous difference to those left behind. You do not have to be wealthy, retired or a homeowner to need a will. You also do not necessarily need an attorney to draft one.

For millions of women, managing money means more than paying the bills. It means doing the invisible work of keeping a household on track. Often, they do this at the expense of their own financial future. You’re halfway through the workday when you remember the school fees are due. While doing a quick grocery run on the way home, you do rapid mental sums. You need to make sure the food budget will last until payday if you treat the family to take-out tonight.

As South Africans continue to navigate a difficult economic climate, many households face rising living costs, fuel price pressure, unreliable electricity supply and growing financial stress. As a result, many consumers may unknowingly sabotage their savings goals through small, seemingly harmless spending habits.

The world has undergone enormous and fundamental changes. These changes affect the workplace and employee expectations. At the same time, salaries fail to keep pace with the rising cost of living. However, employee benefits still fail to address these pressures adequately. As a result, South Africans continue carrying a 'hidden tax' linked to cognitive overload, financial stress and disengagement.

There is something unmistakable about December in South Africa. The air smells of sunscreen and braai smoke. Shops hum with Mariah Carey. Suddenly, we become more generous with time, money and indulgence. It is a season of joy, and rightly so. After a long year, we want to celebrate. We spoil the kids, book the trip and buy the gift. We chase moments that feel like a reward. However, December splurges vs January realities tell a different story once the festivities end.