{"id":759461,"date":"2024-03-12T14:29:52","date_gmt":"2024-03-12T12:29:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=759461"},"modified":"2024-03-12T14:42:50","modified_gmt":"2024-03-12T12:42:50","slug":"the-south-african-debt-crisis-how-to-budget-during-a-cost-of-living-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/industry-news\/759461\/the-south-african-debt-crisis-how-to-budget-during-a-cost-of-living-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"The South African debt crisis \u2013 How to budget during a cost of living crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>South Africa is facing a huge debt crisis with Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana&#8217;s latest budget revealing a worsening deficit from 4% to 4.9% of GDP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This translates to R356 billion in additional debt-service costs, consuming a substantial 20% of the nation&#8217;s revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/nationaldebtadvisors.co.za\/contact-us\/?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=March+2024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Contact National Debt Advisors for help getting rid of your debt.<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As the nation reels from a cost of living crisis stifling economic growth, Head of National Debt Advisors Sebastien Alexanderson is concerned about the crippling effects of the shrinking economy on South African consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;This relentless climb in debt service costs is throttling our economic vitality, and consumers need to arm themselves with robust budgeting strategies to survive these precarious times,\u201d said Alexanderson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He said the financial strain on consumers is palpable, with the latest TransUnion South Africa Industry Insights Report revealing many concerning trends, including a sharp 34.7% year-over-year increase in retail revolving accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWith the cost of living on the rise, people are increasingly turning to credit to get by,\u201d said Alexanderson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis significant spike in the use of retail credit accounts and other forms of borrowing indicates that many are struggling to cover their daily expenses in the current economic climate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Critical budgeting tips<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To help manage these challenges, Alexanderson offers some straightforward budgeting tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Review your income sources<\/strong>: It&#8217;s essential to fully grasp your income, spending patterns, and saving habits. You should consider diversifying your income streams to bolster your financial resilience.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Appraise your expenses<\/strong>: Distinguish between variable and fixed costs to pinpoint and curb overspending.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stabilise your finances through savings<\/strong>: Despite inflation, saving remains vital &#8211; and investing in interest-yielding assets can help preserve and grow your savings over time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Run a flexible budget<\/strong>: Life&#8217;s unpredictability demands budget adaptability. Whether facing unexpected expenses or opportunities, the ability to adjust is key to financial stability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Seek professional help<\/strong>: Seeking professional debt help is essential for anyone struggling with their finances.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">NDA debt counselling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/nationaldebtadvisors.co.za\/?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=March+2024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Debt Advisors<\/a><\/strong> (NDA) offers a solution for those with overwhelming debt through its proficient <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/nationaldebtadvisors.co.za\/debt-counselling\/?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=March+2024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">debt counselling<\/a><\/strong> service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This program, which is endorsed by the National Credit Act and overseen by the National Credit Regulator, offers a structured path to financial liberation for over-indebted South Africans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From comprehensive debt assessments to protection against creditor harassment and asset repossession, NDA provides a critical support network for those caught in the debt trap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The process promises to lower monthly instalments, reduce interest rates, and consolidate debts without resorting to further loans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Our goal is to enable you to live without the constant stress of debt \u2013 ensuring you can afford the essentials and, ultimately, have financial peace of mind,&#8221; said Alexanderson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/nationaldebtadvisors.co.za\/contact-us\/?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=Article&amp;utm_term=March+2024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Contact National Debt Advisors today and begin your journey to financial stability.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As South Africa grapples with a mounting debt crisis compounded by rising living costs, Head of National Debt Advisors Sebastien Alexanderson offers essential budgeting advice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":759465,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10459],"tags":[1629,4771,19573],"class_list":["post-759461","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-news","tag-budget","tag-debt","tag-nda"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/759461","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=759461"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/759461\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":759479,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/759461\/revisions\/759479"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/759465"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=759461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=759461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=759461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}