Youth Financial Strain Deepens as Homeownership Ages and Poverty Persists in South Africa

Youth unemployment has increased by 12% in the last decade with the average South African household earning approximately R204,359 per annum. This may sound like a lot, but considering continued inflation and an absence of salary increases to match that inflation, R17,000 a month is hardly enough to sustain a household. It must also be acknowledged that this figure is heavily distorted by those whose monthly income exceeds most of the population by far. As of January, this year, 37.9% of South Africans live below the Lower-Bound Poverty Line, surviving on R1,415 or less per month. That’s nowhere near our estimated R17,000.

The 2025 Varsity Vibe Student Spend survey results reflect a rise in financial literacy among the youth and although they are eager to secure their financial future through savings and investments, the economy they will inherit isn’t conducive to those who don’t already have a hand in the game. BetterBonds 2025 reports that the average first-time buyer age has increased from 33 to 37 over a few years. What was once a milestone you could almost guarantee with hard work and financial planning has now become a pipe dream for the youth whose path to homeownership has narrowed significantly.

The right to vote is a fundamental part of our constitution and should never be taken for granted, but in the wake of financial insecurity and an increased cost of living as the standard itself continues to fall, what weight does a cross on a voting ballot carry? Being granted the right to housing or access to basic resources on paper does not guarantee buying power or a decent standard of living in practice, so what does freedom refer to? The answer is money.

Running a business almost always requires you to go where the money is but sometimes succeeding requires the opposite – to go where the money isn’t. Varsity Vibe has put one of the most financially insecure demographics at the centre of our business, providing dependable channels for students to make the little that they do have, go further.

Investing in students when they have very little to offer allows the brands on our platform to establish themselves as institutions who value the future of South African youth, building trust that eventually becomes loyalty. As we reflect on how far our nation has come, it is important to empower those who will decide on its direction in the coming years.