Female-headed households are also slightly more likely than male-headed households to be on time with repayments on credit cards, debt consolidation and other bank debt.
South African women generally carry less debt than men and manage it more responsibly. But recent research shows they report higher levels of financial stress, with home-life pressure among women reaching a five-year high.
A March 2026 paper published in the South African Journal of Economics found that men were more likely than women to hold debt. Among couples included in the research, 44% of men had debt compared with 37% of women.
The difference was also evident in the amount owed: men with debt had, on average, 61% more financial debt than women, while their real-estate debt was 22% higher. Men were more likely to hold debt across several categories, including real estate, vehicles and financial debt.
Recent credit data from Standard Bank points in the same direction. Women’s average outstanding unsecured-credit balances were 8.45% lower than men’s in 2025, while women also recorded higher credit scores.
