Approximately 56% of middle income consumers in South Africa spend all their monthly income in five days or less after receiving it.
This is according to data from FNB’s retail segment, which categorises middle income consumers as those who earn a gross monthly income of between R7 000 up to R60 000.
CEO of FNB Retail, Raj Makanjee, says: “For many consumers it’s not only a matter of living from one salary payment to another, the reality is that their monthly salary just doesn’t last for 30 days. These consumers tend to struggle with money management, with the shortfall leading to sacrifices in important areas such as having back up or emergency saving that can be used to pay for unforeseen expenses.
“High spending and limited savings cause consumers to rely on credit to get through the month, making them more vulnerable to be caught in a debt trap.”
The CEO of FNB Consumer, Christoph Nieuwoudt, explains that, “More than half of consumers miss at least one debit order over a 12-month period, indicating the pressure consumers are under. For almost 40% of such customers, debt repayments make up more than half of their take-home-pay, which we consider to be very high. The main driver of this is large numbers of microlender loans and store cards that consumers take up. The ideal scenario for a consumer is to have one provider who gives them a transactional account and the right type of credit when needed.”