The effectiveness of your financial planning will make the difference between surviving on your own and crawling back for economic security.
Financial freedom means different things to different people. For some, it's paying off a home loan; for others, it could be retiring comfortably or building wealth over time. However, for women in financially abusive relationships, it can simply mean having enough money to leave.
A November 2025 Human Sciences Research Council's national survey on violence against women found that one in eight South African women over the age of 18 had experienced financial abuse, while more than half reported controlling behaviours in a relationship.
“Woman are often harmed and even killed for trying to end a relationship with an abuser. For this reason, careful planning is essential, and your exit plan must include your finances,” says Simon Dippenaar, founder of law firm Simon Dippenaar & Associates.
Financial abuse strips away agency, says Khensani Nobanda, group executive for marketing and corporate affairs at Nedbank. "A woman whose salary is controlled by an abusive partner isn't financially free. Someone prevented from working isn't financially free. Someone forced into debt, denied access to their own bank account or financially monitored every day isn't financially free," she explains.
