Rising living costs overtake interest rates as South Africans report record levels of stress at home
More than 70% of South Africans say they experience financial stress, driven largely by rising costs – and home life stress has reached a five-year high.
These are some of the findings from DebtBusters’ 2026 Money-Stress Tracker. Attracting some 18,000 respondents, the survey, now in its fifth year, is one of South Africa’s largest assessments of how financial stress affects people’s home life, work life, and health.
This year, 72% of respondents admitted to money stress, a slight increase compared to last year and a reversal of a steady decline from a high of 78% in 2023. Home life stress has reached 42%; up by more than a third compared to 2025, and the highest recorded level since the survey’s 2022 commencement.
After a two-year period in which increasing interest rates were the primary driver of financial anxiety, short-term cost-of-living concerns now dominate. The top two 2026 issues are the fear of running out of money before the end of the month and having enough to cover debt repayments. Concerns about inflation and living costs increased by close to a third, and worry about the cost of electricity was significantly higher – up 99% compared to 2025.
Rising living costs have also resulted in more debt repayment pressure. More than half the respondents now spend more than 40% of their take-home pay on debt repayments. People taking home more than R20,000 a month face the most debt-repayment pressure.
Benay Sager, executive head of DebtBusters, says this group is the backbone of South Africa’s middle-class population – and 75% of them spend more than 30% of their after-tax income on debt repayments.
Younger people and those earning lower incomes are now the most stressed. Three-quarters of respondents aged under 35 years say they are anxious or stressed about their finances. Financial anxiety amongst those aged 24 or younger has increased by 18% compared to last year. This group is particularly worried about paying off debt and the rising cost of living.
Consistent with previous years’ findings, women are significantly more financially stressed than men. They rate higher across all of the concerns other than retirement, possibly because they prioritise (and are expected to prioritise) more immediate concerns. Home-life stress for women has reached a five-year high.
Based on more than 130,000 responses to the Money-Stress Tracker over the past five years, four primary factors have emerged as the most important indicators of money-related stress. These include feeling financial stress, feeling home life stress, spending more than 40% of income on debt repayments, and feeling stuck.
The share of respondents experiencing each of these primary factors was higher this year than in 2025. Home-life stress levels have spiked sharply, which is of particular concern.
Psychologist Andrea Kellerman explains that when financial stress infiltrates the home, and is no longer left at work or contained within monthly budgeting, the opportunity for emotional recovery is lost.
“Emotional resources become depleted, patience decreases, communication deteriorates, and conflict becomes more likely. Gradually, the home shifts from being a place of restoration to becoming another source of psychological pressure.”
However, Sager points out there is some good news. While fewer consumers are enthusiastic about cutting back on monthly spending (possibly an indication of savings fatigue), more are making a plan.
Younger consumers are 1.5 times more likely to follow through with a budget and four times more likely to be looking for a higher-paying job. They also show 58% more intent in dealing with money stress. Overall, South Africans show a lot of entrepreneurial spirit when dealing with money stress, whether, for example, making or growing things to sell, buying or selling online, or renting spare accommodation.
When addressing financial stress, fewer say they are embarrassed to ask for help, and negative sentiment about debt counselling has declined by 23% over the past three years.
“Willingness to act, increased awareness, and less resistance to getting help offer some hope that the 80% of South Africans with unsustainable debt levels who could benefit from debt counselling will increasingly start to take the opportunity to rebuild their finances,” Sager concludes.
