Kaya 959 Kaya Biz

Half of South Africa’s deskless workers have no savings, and things are getting worse.

Loading player...
GUEST – Nonsuku Thimkhulu, Head of Customer at Jem HR
South Africa’s frontline workers are under mounting financial pressure. These are the people who keep our shops stocked, streets clean and buildings safe.

According to Deskless Worker Pulse 2025, the second annual study from Jem HR, 51% of frontline workers have no savings, up from 44% last year. Nearly three-quarters (73%) have less than R500 saved, and almost half (48%) run out of money before month-end, every single month.

These are sobering statistics, made even more eye-opening when you consider that 97% of deskless workers reportedly enjoy their jobs.
13 Nov 2025 3PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

Your Retirement, Your Rules: ETFSA’s Starter Pack Explained

Retirement planning doesn’t need to be intimidating. Suzan Ramotshabi breaks down the biggest barriers stopping South Africans from investing, including Black Tax and fear of making mistakes. She explains how the Starter Pack works, additional ETFSA solutions, and the one step listeners can take today to begin their retirement journey…
23 Sep 1PM 22 min

SARB Tightens: What the 25bps Hike Means for You

The SARB surprised markets with a unanimous vote to hike rates by 25bps, landing against rising inflation expectations and global volatility. Johann Els unpacks the policy mood shift, the 4.4% inflation print, rand vulnerability, and how this decision affects credit conditions, household budgets, and South Africa’s growth outlook heading into…
23 Sep 12PM 14 min

The State of SA Insurance: Climate, Claims & Consumer Strain

South Africa’s insurers are navigating a perfect storm: higher catastrophe losses, rising claims inflation, affordability strain, and a shifting risk landscape shaped by climate volatility and crime. Santam’s Partner Solutions CEO, Gugu Mtetwa, unpacks the sector’s resilience, the worsening underinsurance problem, consumer behaviour shifts, and how insurers are adapting to…
22 Sep 1PM 24 min

Measured Momentum in SA Banking: Earnings Up, Risks Rising

South Africa’s major banks delivered headline earnings growth of 9.3% to R82.3 billion, stronger ROE at 20.5%, and improved cost‑to‑income ratios — but beneath the numbers lies a fragile domestic recovery and renewed inflation pressure. PwC’s Rivaan Roopnarain breaks down the competitive dynamics across retail, business, corporate and payments ecosystems,…
22 Sep 1PM 14 min

Crypto’s Turning Point: Sound Money Capital says Bear Market Dead

After eight months of grinding weakness, crypto snapped sharply higher in August — and Sound Money Capital was fully allocated ahead of the turn. CIO Rob Price explains why seller exhaustion, ETF capitulation, and policy intervention signal the end of the bear market. With Bitcoin reclaiming key resistance and market…
22 Sep 1PM 15 min
All episodes