Survive

You get paid. You cover the big things. And then somehow, before you even get to the third week, the money is gone. You are not sure where it went. You are not sure what to do differently. And next month, it happens again.

South Africa's economy shrank for the first time in almost two years. The Congress of South African Trade Unions wants government to step in with fuel and electricity relief before things get worse.

Retail worker Zweli Butho became a Mashonisa to stretch his salary, support his family and pay for university as living costs bite.

Xolani Maseko takes six taxis a day between Tsakane and his call centre job in Rosebank, spending R2,760 of his R8,000 monthly salary on transport.

Cabbage should cost around R25 a head. At some stores, it's been found selling for nearly double that.

More than half of people in rural towns earn under R3,500 a month while local shops and prices work against residents a report finds.

A 2kg pack of chicken feet costs R47.12 in Cape Town and R106.73 in Joburg. Same product, same size, more than double the price.

Athenkosi, 32, is unemployed and lives with his 56-year-old mother in Kariega. Together they get R370 each, monthly, still below the R855 food poverty line.

Mbali Motloung, 27, quit her full-time job to open Street Talks Eat House with her partner Mpho Goodman Seyama, in Langaville, Ekurhuleni, in May 2026.

Nearly two in three young South Africans are unemployed, with economists warning that poor education and a lack of skills are making matters worse.

South Africans already struggling with living costs are cutting spending again after sharp fuel increases made driving and everyday life more expensive.

An internship can improve your chances of finding work, but it is not a guarantee, says labour economist Professor Derick Blaauw, as South Africa's youth unemployment rate sits at 47.4%.