Thembelihle Zwane
19 October 2026
Paying every bill on time does not always mean you are coping. For many South Africans, the real strain lies in living with almost no margin for error, where each swipe, debit order and surprise expense sets off another round of mental arithmetic.
The national figures show how common this pressure has become. Nedbank’s September 2026 Personal Finances report, which draws on revised South African Reserve Bank (SARB) data, found that debt-servicing costs took up 9.4% of household disposable income in the second quarter of 2026. Put simply, households are setting aside nearly R10 of every R100 they earn to service debt before they pay for food, transport, housing and other everyday needs. With so much of the budget spoken for, there is little space left to absorb an unplanned cost, and that tightness can turn into constant, low-level anxiety.
As Mental Health Awareness Month shines a light on emotional wellbeing, Brett Caminsky, Director at Atlas Finance, says this less visible side of money trouble deserves a place in the conversation.
“Financial stress can build quietly. Someone may be meeting every repayment, but still spend much of their time worrying about the next bill or whether an unexpected expense will push the household budget off track. The fuel increases just announced add to this pressure. When there is little financial breathing room, even a small financial setback can feel overwhelming.”
“The important thing is to recognise those signs early. Coping doesn’t require a flawless spreadsheet or fixing every financial hurdle overnight. Often, the most powerful first step is simply lowering the emotional temperature: taking a calm look at what’s actually coming in and going out, figuring out which commitments need immediate attention, and asking yourself how your budget would weather a curveball.”
Caminsky offers five practical ways to lighten the mental load:
• Do a simple money check-in: Skip the full financial overhaul. Instead, note what is coming in, what is going out and what must be paid before your next payday. Facing a clear picture is often less stressful than avoiding the numbers.
• Let a budget cut the guesswork: A budget is about more than limiting spending. It shows what you have for essentials, commitments and extras, so you no longer need to calculate in your head whether each purchase is affordable.
• Stress-test your month: Imagine an unexpected expense landing in the next few weeks. Even without a large emergency fund, knowing where you could find some room helps you prepare rather than panic.
• Set reminders for financial admin: Put debit orders, repayments and other key dates in your calendar. Moving these details out of your head and onto a visible list reduces the effort of remembering everything.
• Act before you fall into arrears: If your budget is getting harder to manage, talk to a credit provider or seek useful financial advice early. Options are easier to weigh while you still have room to act than after the problem has escalated.
When the numbers no longer add up, professional financial advice or a conversation with a credit provider early can lift the fog and reveal options you may not have considered.
“Ultimately, financial wellbeing isn’t just about staying out of arrears. It’s about regaining enough clarity and confidence to look your money in the eye, rather than running away from it,” concludes Caminsky.
