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JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA — 18 September 2026 — South Africans applying for debt review are committing a median 58.4% of their net monthly income to debt repayments before essential living costs, according to the latest reading of the South African Financial Pressure Index (SAFPI).The August 2026 SAFPI reading is based on 1,174 debt-review applications collected across a rolling June-to-August period. It measures the depth of financial pressure among consumers who are already seeking assistance with their debt.
The data shows that 56.0% of applicants — 657 out of 1,174 — were already committing more than half of their net income to debt repayments before paying for necessities such as food, transport and housing.
The latest reading increased from 57.6% in July, with August alone recording 604 applications, the largest monthly volume in the series.
SAFPI also shows that unsecured lending is playing a significant role in the financial pressure experienced by applicants. Across 5,842 unsecured credit accounts, personal loans represented 65.4% of the R79.02 million in balances recorded during the June-to-August period.
Credit cards accounted for a further 21.4% of the unsecured balance, while store cards represented 4.6%.
Rowan Breeds, an NCR-registered debt counsellor and the person behind the SAFPI research initiative, said the index was designed to provide a clearer picture of what financial pressure looks like at household level among people already seeking debt assistance.
“SAFPI is not intended to suggest that every South African household is carrying this level of debt. It measures how deep the financial pressure is among people who have already reached the point of seeking help.”
The index uses applicant-declared income alongside account-level credit bureau repayment data. Debt Solutions 4 U says this distinction is important because the index measures the financial position of people entering the debt-review process rather than attempting to estimate debt levels across the entire South African population.
The SAFPI data also highlights the importance of personal loans in the debt profiles of applicants. Of the 5,842 unsecured accounts recorded during the period, 3,683 were personal loans, representing R51.66 million of the R79.02 million total unsecured balance.
The latest SAFPI reading forms part of an ongoing monthly index that tracks changes in financial pressure among South Africans entering debt review.
The full methodology, historical readings and underlying data categories are available on the Debt Solutions 4 U SAFPI research page.
About SAFPI
The South African Financial Pressure Index (SAFPI) is a monthly research initiative published by Debt Solutions 4 U. It measures the median share of net monthly income already committed to debt repayments among people applying for debt review, using anonymised application data and account-level credit information.
About Debt Solutions 4 U
Debt Solutions 4 U is an NCR-registered South African debt counselling practice. The company is registered under NCRDC2423, held by debt counsellor Rowan Breeds.