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FinWise

@FinWiseApp

FinWise makes your money simple to see: spending, budgets and net worth, synced from your bank accounts. Founded in Cape Town. Try it free for 14 days.

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Joined March 2023
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If you worked on Wednesday, election day was a public holiday. When a public holiday lands on a day you'd normally work, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act says working it pays at least double a normal day. On R25,000 a month, a normal day is about R1,150 (R25,000 × 12 ÷ 260 workdays), so the holiday comes to about R2,300. Worth a look on your payslip on the 25th.
A table of what working the 4 November public holiday pays at five monthly salaries, from R10,000 to R60,000: double a normal day. On R25,000 a month, a normal day is about R1,150 and the holiday about R2,300.

ALT A table of what working the 4 November public holiday pays at five monthly salaries, from R10,000 to R60,000: double a normal day. On R25,000 a month, a normal day is about R1,150 and the holiday about R2,300.

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R1 million today, or 1c that doubles every day for 30 days. For 27 days the million looks like the clever pick: on day 27 the cent is worth R671,089. On day 28 it's R1.34 million, and on day 30 it's R5.37 million. Doubling starts slow and ends fast. Real interest is far slower, but it works the same way.
A chart of 1c doubled every day for 30 days against a flat R1 million line: the cent stays near zero until about day 25, passes R1 million on day 28 and reaches R5.37 million on day 30.

ALT A chart of 1c doubled every day for 30 days against a flat R1 million line: the cent stays near zero until about day 25, passes R1 million on day 28 and reaches R5.37 million on day 30.

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The petrol levy was cut by R1.50 a litre today, but the price at the pump only fell by 1c. That's because oil got dearer, the rand got weaker and another fuel charge went up, which used up almost all of the cut. On a 50-litre tank, you pay 50c less than yesterday. Without the R1.50 cut, you'd have paid about R75 more (50 litres × R1.50).
A petrol pump display showing petrol 95 inland at R30.25 a litre yesterday and R30.24 today, after a R1.50 levy cut. On a 50-litre tank, that's 50c less than yesterday (50 litres × 1c), and about R75 less than it would have cost without the cut (50 litres × R1.50).

ALT A petrol pump display showing petrol 95 inland at R30.25 a litre yesterday and R30.24 today, after a R1.50 levy cut. On a 50-litre tank, that's 50c less than yesterday (50 litres × 1c), and about R75 less than it would have cost without the cut (50 litres × R1.50).

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A trolley and a December flight home have had very different years. Food and non-alcoholic drinks rose 1.2% on average in the year to September, while flights rose 18.6%, Stats SA says. At those rates, last September's R3,000 shop is now about R3,036 and a R2,000 flight about R2,372. Minibus taxi fares are up 13.8% and long-distance buses 14.1%.
Bars showing how much prices rose in South Africa in the year to September 2026: food and non-alcoholic drinks 1.2%, minibus taxi fares 13.8%, long-distance bus fares 14.1% and flights 18.6%. R3,000 of food is now about R3,036, and a R2,000 flight about R2,372.

ALT Bars showing how much prices rose in South Africa in the year to September 2026: food and non-alcoholic drinks 1.2%, minibus taxi fares 13.8%, long-distance bus fares 14.1% and flights 18.6%. R3,000 of food is now about R3,036, and a R2,000 flight about R2,372.

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In one study in Israel, researchers took groups of six students who didn't know each other out to lunch. On average, they spent over a third more when splitting the bill than when each paid their own. When it was free, more than double. At a table of six, an extra starter costs you a sixth of its price. Asked beforehand, 80% said they'd rather pay for their own. It's one small study, so it won't be every table. Year-end lunch season is nearly here. Good luck to whoever only had the salad.
Three white till slips rising from the bottom of the image, each as tall as what students in Israel spent on lunch on average in one study. Paying your own is the starting point. Splitting the bill is over a third more. A free meal is more than double.

ALT Three white till slips rising from the bottom of the image, each as tall as what students in Israel spent on lunch on average in one study. Paying your own is the starting point. Splitting the bill is over a third more. A free meal is more than double.

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South Africa needs its own Big Mac Index: the Woolies Chicken Index. A medium rotisserie chicken at R119,99 costs 42 minutes of work on R30 000 a month. On R100 000, it's 12 minutes. On R15 000, it's 1 hour 23 minutes, and you've started looking at the half chicken.
Bars showing how long it takes to earn a R119,99 medium rotisserie chicken from Woolworths, before tax: 1 hour 23 minutes on R15 000 a month, 42 minutes on R30 000, 25 minutes on R50 000 and 12 minutes on R100 000.

ALT Bars showing how long it takes to earn a R119,99 medium rotisserie chicken from Woolworths, before tax: 1 hour 23 minutes on R15 000 a month, 42 minutes on R30 000, 25 minutes on R50 000 and 12 minutes on R100 000.

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The rand launched on Valentine's Day, 1961. To teach people the new money, it came with a cartoon mascot and a radio jingle: Decimal Dan, "the rand-cent man". The jingle is below. The repo rate is still waiting for its song.
A card reading "The rand launched on Valentine's Day, 1961. It came with a mascot.", then "Decimal Dan" in large type. Below: "the rand-cent man", a cartoon and a radio jingle to teach people the new money, called Daan Desimaal in Afrikaans.

ALT A card reading "The rand launched on Valentine's Day, 1961. It came with a mascot.", then "Decimal Dan" in large type. Below: "the rand-cent man", a cartoon and a radio jingle to teach people the new money, called Daan Desimaal in Afrikaans.

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Decimal Dan, the jingle that taught South Africans rands and cents in 1961: youtube.com/watch?v=GQ41bGOQ…
DECIMAL DAN

DECIMAL DAN

Decimal Dan. The radio jingle that was heard on South African Radio...

youtube.com
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Buy one Lotto ticket every Wednesday and Saturday, and you'd expect to win the jackpot about once every 196 000 years.
A card reading "One Lotto ticket every Wednesday and Saturday", then "196 000 years": how long until you'd expect to win the jackpot once. The odds are 1 in 20 358 520 a ticket, with 104 draws a year.

ALT A card reading "One Lotto ticket every Wednesday and Saturday", then "196 000 years": how long until you'd expect to win the jackpot once. The odds are 1 in 20 358 520 a ticket, with 104 draws a year.

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On R30 000 a month, the first hour and 15 minutes of every working day is for SARS.
A table of how much of an 8-hour working day goes to income tax, by monthly salary: R15 000, 39 minutes; R20 000, 51 minutes; R30 000, 1 hour 15 minutes, highlighted; R50 000, 1 hour 46 minutes; R100 000, 2 hours 28 minutes. From SARS's 2026/27 tax tables.

ALT A table of how much of an 8-hour working day goes to income tax, by monthly salary: R15 000, 39 minutes; R20 000, 51 minutes; R30 000, 1 hour 15 minutes, highlighted; R50 000, 1 hour 46 minutes; R100 000, 2 hours 28 minutes. From SARS's 2026/27 tax tables.

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A 10% discount on a product with a 30% margin needs 50% more sales just to make the same profit. Sell at R100 with R70 cost: R30 profit. At R90, it's R20. It takes three sales at R20 to match two at R30. At 20% off, you need three times the sales.
A table of how many more sales a discount needs to make the same profit. At a 30% margin, 10% off needs 50% more sales and 20% off needs 200% more. At a 20% margin, 10% off needs 100% more and 20% off leaves no profit. At 40%, it's 33% and 100% more; at 50%, 25% and 67% more.

ALT A table of how many more sales a discount needs to make the same profit. At a 30% margin, 10% off needs 50% more sales and 20% off needs 200% more. At a 20% margin, 10% off needs 100% more and 20% off leaves no profit. At 40%, it's 33% and 100% more; at 50%, 25% and 67% more.

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A shortcut for any interest rate: 72 divided by the rate is roughly how many years it takes money to double. At prime, 10,75%: about 6,7 years. At 21,25%, the legal cap on credit cards: about 3,4 years. Same maths, very different mood.
A table showing that 72 divided by an interest rate is close to the years it takes money to double. 6%: 12 years by the rule, 11,9 exactly. 9%: 8 and 8. Prime, 10,75%: 6,7 and 6,8. 15%: 4,8 and 5. The credit card cap, 21,25%: 3,4 and 3,6.

ALT A table showing that 72 divided by an interest rate is close to the years it takes money to double. 6%: 12 years by the rule, 11,9 exactly. 9%: 8 and 8. Prime, 10,75%: 6,7 and 6,8. 15%: 4,8 and 5. The credit card cap, 21,25%: 3,4 and 3,6.

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R2 000 a month for 30 years, growing an assumed 10% a year, ends at R4,52 million. Take 1% a year in fees off that growth, and it ends at R3,66 million. That 1% costs R859 000: more than the R720 000 you put in. Below: what a 0,5% fee costs.
A chart of R2 000 a month invested for 30 years. The green line, with no fee at an assumed 10% a year, ends at R4,52 million. The grey line, with a 1% annual fee at 9% a year, ends at R3,66 million. The shaded gap between them is R859 000, more than the R720 000 paid in.

ALT A chart of R2 000 a month invested for 30 years. The green line, with no fee at an assumed 10% a year, ends at R4,52 million. The grey line, with a 1% annual fee at 9% a year, ends at R3,66 million. The shaded gap between them is R859 000, more than the R720 000 paid in.

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At a 0,5% fee, the same R2 000 a month ends at R4,07 million. The fee costs R455 000, about 10% of the total.
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The annual limit on a tax-free savings account went up to R46 000 in March. The lifetime limit is still R500 000. Starting from nothing, at the full amount each year, you reach it in 11 tax years instead of 14. Unused allowance doesn't roll over: this tax year's R46 000 is open until 28 February. Below: why a withdrawal can't be put back, and what R500 000 can grow to.
Two rows of blocks, one block per tax year, each row adding up to the R500 000 lifetime limit of a tax-free savings account. At R36 000 a year, the limit up to February 2026, it takes 14 years: 13 years of R36 000, then R32 000. At R46 000 a year, from March 2026, it takes 11 years: 10 years of R46 000, then R40 000.

ALT Two rows of blocks, one block per tax year, each row adding up to the R500 000 lifetime limit of a tax-free savings account. At R36 000 a year, the limit up to February 2026, it takes 14 years: 13 years of R36 000, then R32 000. At R46 000 a year, from March 2026, it takes 11 years: 10 years of R46 000, then R40 000.

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Taking money out doesn't free up room. Put it back later and it counts as a new contribution, against both the annual and the lifetime limit. Above either limit, SARS charges 40% on the excess.
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Contributions stop at R500 000. Growth doesn't count towards the limit. R500 000 left for 20 years at an assumed 9% a year becomes about R2,8 million, with no tax on the interest, dividends, gains or withdrawals.
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R100 000 in a savings account at 7% earns about R7 200 in a year. The same R100 000 paid into a bond at prime, 10,75%, saves about R11 300 in interest that year. Interest saved isn't taxed. Interest earned is, once your total passes R23 800 a year (under 65): at a 41% tax rate, that R7 200 becomes about R4 300. The trade-off: money paid into a bond lowers what you owe, so getting it back out depends on the bond's access facility.
Three bars for R100 000 over one year. A savings account at 7%, after tax at 41%: R4 265. The same account before tax, if all your interest stays under R23 800 a year: R7 229. Paid into a bond at prime, 10,75%: R11 296 of interest not charged, with nothing to tax.

ALT Three bars for R100 000 over one year. A savings account at 7%, after tax at 41%: R4 265. The same account before tax, if all your interest stays under R23 800 a year: R7 229. Paid into a bond at prime, 10,75%: R11 296 of interest not charged, with nothing to tax.

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A weekly one-hour meeting of eight people on R60 000 a month costs R144 000 a year in salary.
A table of what a weekly one-hour meeting costs in salary a year. On R30 000 a month: R36 000 for 4 people, R72 000 for 8, R108 000 for 12. On R60 000: R72 000, R144 000 (highlighted), R216 000. On R100 000: R120 000, R240 000, R360 000.

ALT A table of what a weekly one-hour meeting costs in salary a year. On R30 000 a month: R36 000 for 4 people, R72 000 for 8, R108 000 for 12. On R60 000: R72 000, R144 000 (highlighted), R216 000. On R100 000: R120 000, R240 000, R360 000.

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The shortcut: each person in a weekly one-hour meeting costs 30% of their monthly salary a year. The agenda is free.
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