Why is traditional budgeting advice falling short for South Africans during Savings Month 2025?

Loading player...
GUEST – Samantha Moyana - Debt Counsellor at National Debt Advisors



As living costs skyrocket, many South Africans are finding that traditional budgeting just isn’t enough. Sebastien Alexanderson unpacks why saving has become nearly impossible and what struggling households can do instead.

July is usually a time to talk about saving money, but this year, South Africans are just trying to stay afloat.



Households are being hit hard by rising costs: electricity bills are climbing by as much as 12.7%, water and sanitation charges are up 13.9%, and steep hikes in rates and taxes are sweeping across major metros. And that’s not all—thanks to Eskom’s new Retail Tariff Plan, some households are facing electricity increases of up to 80%, with added daily fees and capacity charges piling on the pressure.
8 Jul 2025 4PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

INSIDE YOUR BUSINESS: How small steps build big businesses

In an economic environment where many businesses are chasing disruption, Graham Mitchell’s message is almost counterintuitive. After working with more than 180 South African companies with combined revenues exceeding R15 billion, Mitchell argues that the real driver of sustainable business growth is not innovation alone, but disciplined execution. He joins…
4 Mar 3PM 13 min

Discovery delivers strong interim performance

Guest: Hylton Kallner Discovery today announced strong financial results for the six months ended 31 December 2025, delivering robust growth across both its operational composites – Discovery South Africa and the global Vitality composite – and advancing well ahead of its five year growth ambition. The period reflects the powerful…
3 Mar 2PM 9 min

TECH & INNOVATION: Cell C - Business Launch

Cell C Business is re-entering the B2B ICT market with a bold repositioning campaign titled “Nothing Should Stop Your Business”.Farhad Suleman, Managing Executive - Cell C Business provides deeper insight into the stunt activation and its strategic intent, and the broader campaign context.
3 Mar 2PM 13 min

King V, governance risk and access to capital for SMEs

King V is no longer just a governance code for listed giants, it is fast becoming a credibility test for every board that claims to apply it. As capital tightens and lenders scrutinise risk more closely, “apply and explain” is shifting from a compliance exercise to a legal and financial…
3 Mar 2PM 12 min

Future of the JSE

We’re joined today by Lesetja Kganyago, Governor of the South African Reserve Bank, for a timely conversation on the state of South Africa’s financial markets and the role of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in a shifting global economy.
3 Mar 2PM 6 min