Middle class is too stretched to save and too ‘rich’ for help, index shows
Debt index shows growing pressure on middle-income earners, despite improved confidence and financial relief from two-pot system
14 May 2025 - 11:45
SA’s middle class is not defaulting en masse — but behind closed doors, a quieter crisis is taking root.
According to a first-quarter debt index released by DebtBusters, households earning between R10,000 and R35,000 a month — which includes the backbone of the country’s working class — are cutting back on essential spending, including on children, vehicle loans, utilities, transport and food, just to survive...
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