South Africa’s retirement system has assets, but not enough reach
According to the 2026 Marsh CFA Institute Global Pension Index, South Africa ranks 51st out of 55 retirement systems.
#twopotretirementsystem
Financial security on paper means little when benefits fail
The Deputy Pension Funds Adjudicator and the FAIS Ombud warn that financial protection depends on more than products and paperwork.
JustMoney survey: Debt consumes over 40% of income for half of respondents
Limited emergency savings and frequent two-pot withdrawals show how short-term pressures are testing respondents’ longer-term financial resilience.
Uhlaziyo lweembiza ezimbini (Two-pot) aluvuli izibonelelo zeRA –Tribunal
Le nkqubo yazisa ukufikelela okulinganiselweyo kwinxalenye yemali eyongiweyo, kodwa ayizange itshintshe izithintelo ekudala zikhona zokutsalwa kwemali ezisebenza kwii-akhawunti zomhlalaphantsi (ii-RA).
Two-pot system ‘softens the damage’ of annual withdrawals
Even after fully depleting the savings component each year, a hypothetical member fares better in Alexforbes’ model than under its previous-system scenario.
Your future self is counting on you
World Financial Planning Day is a timely reminder to reflect on your retirement plan, with MBSE’s Julette Wentzel asking whether your future self will thank you for today’s decisions.
The advice gap may open before anyone calls an adviser
People under financial strain tend to go looking for more credit before they look for advice. Debt-review data, search behaviour, and two-pot withdrawals suggest where that pathway runs, and where the industry could meet people sooner.
Retirement fund fees: Is cheaper really better?
The developing FSCA value-for-money approach puts costs alongside investment performance, service quality, governance, and member outcomes.
Mental well-being linked to two-pot withdrawals
Discovery’s research points to a complex relationship between mental well-being, financial behaviour, and retirement savings withdrawals.
Retirement advice: The right help at the wrong time
Many members value retirement guidance, but research suggests it often comes after key savings, preservation, and income decisions have already been made.
Debt and retirement pressures drive new product thinking
With household debt absorbing income and retirement outcomes remaining poor, Discovery has introduced a benefit aimed at addressing both pressures.
What a weekly workout can teach us about retirement
Exercising regularly is only the starting point for Discovery’s argument that everyday behaviours can have a lasting effect on earnings, debt, and retirement security.
Unclaimed retirement benefits – a problem that won’t go away
Better member data, stronger engagement, and AI-assisted tracing may improve future outcomes, but billions of rands in legacy retirement savings are likely to remain unclaimed.
When it’s your money, who should decide?
As employers hand more responsibility for retirement and healthcare benefits to staff, the industry is rethinking how to balance freedom with better financial decisions.
Why retirement advice isn’t changing behaviour
Access to education and information has expanded, but the challenge is turning member engagement into better financial decisions and outcomes.
Preserved, but scattered: the new retirement savings challenge
As members leave compulsory preserved savings behind when changing jobs, fragmentation across funds may make it harder to manage fees, investments, and progress towards retirement.
Planning for retirement is improving, but reality is proving costlier
FNB’s survey shows more South Africans are preparing for retirement, while retirees’ experiences disclose the financial pressures that many did not anticipate.
