Consistent with previous years’ findings, women are significantly more financially stressed than men
More than seven out of 10 South Africans are experiencing severe financial stress, driven by soaring electricity prices and cost-of-living pressures that have pushed home life tension to a five-year high.
According to DebtBusters’ fifth annual 2026 Money-Stress Tracker—which surveyed roughly 18,000 respondents—72% of South Africans admitted to feeling financially stressed. This marks a slight increase from last year and reverses a steady decline from the 78% peak recorded in 2023.
The impact on households has been severe. Home life stress spiked to 42%, up by more than a third compared to 2025, reaching its highest level since the tracker was launched in 2022.
After two years dominated by rising interest rates, short-term cost-of-living anxieties now top consumer worries.
