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Money, explained
Short, sourced reads on tax, saving and the debit orders that quietly grow. Every tax figure links to SARS or National Treasury. Education, not financial advice.
Paying extra into your bond: what R1 000 a month really savesOn a R1.5 million bond at 10.75% over 20 years, R1 000 extra a month saves about R451 500 in interest and finishes the bond 3.5 years early.Read →
Your debit orders are growing faster than inflation. Here is how to catch it.A R1 200 premium rising 25% a year costs R39 560 more over five years than one rising with inflation. A 20-minute statement audit finds it.Read →
Living annuity drawdown: how much can you take without running short?R3 million drawn at 6% pays R15 000 a month in year one - but with 9% growth and 4.4% inflation, that income buys only about R10 300 of today's goods by year 20.Read →
How big should your emergency fund be, and how long will it take to build?On R15 000 of essential monthly spending, three months of cover is R45 000 - saving R2 000 a month gets you there in 1 year and 10 months.Read →
Medical aid tax credits: what your family gets back in 2026/27A family of three on medical aid gets R12 072 a year off its tax in 2026/27 - and out-of-pocket medical costs can add more once they pass 7.5% of income.Read →
The retirement annuity deduction: how much of your contribution SARS pays backOn a R500 000 income, R3 000 a month into a retirement annuity cuts your tax by R11 160 a year - so the contribution really costs about R2 070 a month.Read →
The real cost of a two-pot savings withdrawalOn a R350 000 income, a R30 000 savings-pot withdrawal pays out R22 200 after tax - and the same money left in the fund could be R258 700 in 25 years.Read →
Capital gains tax on shares: the new R50 000 exclusion and how to use itFrom 1 March 2026 the first R50 000 of gains each tax year is tax-free - a R200 000 gain on a R500 000 income costs R20 090 sold at once, or R6 200 spread over three tax years.Read →
Employee, contractor or your own company: who pays the least tax on the same income?On R600 000 a year, a contractor who can deduct R60 000 of costs keeps about R21 600 more than an employee - and a one-person Pty Ltd can end up keeping less than both.Read →
Start at 18, 25 or 35: what the tax-free savings account does with timeThe same R1 000 a month into a tax-free savings account can be worth R7.7 million or R1.7 million at 65 - the only difference is the age you start.Read →