Black tax is not so much about money as it is about boundaries, says Ndumi Hadebe, author of Handle Black Tax like a Pro. In ten relatable stories that range from absent fathers to siblings’ expectations, self-leadership coach Hadebe explores the...
How to manage family demands
Maya Fisher-FrenchFeb 17, 2023
National Treasury’s response to Eskom can be a lesson on managing family demands. You get a call from a family member who urgently needs money for some emergency. Your finances are stretched, and you have already provided support to the person. How...
Listen: First in your family to graduate? Here’s some advice.
Maya Fisher-FrenchOct 28, 2022
Earning your first paycheque and balancing the many financial demands is challenging for any graduate. For those who are the first in their family to become a professional, there are even greater expectations and financial demands. In this podcast...
The great middle-class squeeze
Maya Fisher-FrenchAug 19, 2019
The average middle-class South African has run out of runway, having already depleted savings and now tapping into whatever credit facilities they may have. These are the figures revealed in the 2019 Old Mutual Savings and Investment Monitor which...
Learning to say “no”
Maya Fisher-FrenchJan 11, 2018
When I met Glenda at a women’s day function, I was struck by her confidence and how empowered she was around money. But to become the woman she is today, she had to undertake a journey of self-discovery about the power of money and how destructive...
Heading for a club sandwich generation
Maya Fisher-FrenchAug 26, 2015
The dependency cycle is worsening, putting further pressure on those who have an income. I have to confess that the latest results from the Old Mutual Savings and Investment Monitor made for sombre reading. We all know that households are starting...
Delayed parenting: how to avoid a financial ‘bottleneck’
Guest AuthorJun 4, 2015
There may be very good reasons to postpone starting a family, but it’s also important to consider the potential financial implications when you make this call, says Karin Muller, head of Growth Market Solutions at Sanlam. People are delaying having...
Investing a lump sum near retirement
Maya Fisher-FrenchDec 12, 2014
Make sure your retirement is taken care of before you help out your adult children. Themba writes: I have just sold my home for just over R 1 000 000 and would like advice on how to invest the money in a responsible way. In December this year I...
Financial planning for the “sandwich generation”
Guest AuthorOct 8, 2014
by Kagisho Mahura, investment and retirement planning specialist at Gradidge-Mahura Investments. The sandwich generation refers to those people who find themselves supporting both their parents and kids financially. The growth of the sandwich...
Long-term perspective: about more than just investments
Guest AuthorAug 20, 2014
Ensure that the “sandwich generation” is only a one-generation phenomenon, writes Kagisho Mahura In 1974, sociologist Dr Edward Banfield of Harvard University wrote a book entitled The Unheavenly City. In it he described one of the most profound...

Previous Articles
Old Mutual Savings Monitor: Reality hits
Aug 21, 2013
The latest Old Mutual Savings Monitor shows that South Africans are coming to terms with their new economic reality and taking control of their finances, but it’s still really tough to make ends meet. As households come under pressure from rising costs such as a...










