More workers in SA turn to debt and gambling
South Africa’s working population increasingly relies on debt and gambling to cover expenses, reflecting widening financial inequality.Summary
The Old Mutual Savings & Investment Monitor 2026 reveals that 40 % of South African workers feel highly stressed, with 64 % holding personal loans—most taken to cover basic needs rather than discretionary spending. Debt is increasingly used to make ends meet, while gambling has risen as a coping strategy: 53 % of employed people gamble, and 42 % do so to offset household costs or debt. Lower‑income earners are disproportionately affected, with 52 % of those earning R8 000–R14 999 a month gambling to cover expenses. Gambling‑related financial hardship has jumped from 12 % to 22 % of workers, and 41 % of gamblers report hardship. Sports betting dominates, and younger men are the most active gamblers, with 9 % gambling daily. The report warns that debt and gambling are widening South Africa’s financial divide.
(Source：Mail & Guardian)