JOHANNESBURG - As the festive season has kicked off in earnest and consumers spend more, FNB on Monday warned that approximately 56 percent of middle income consumers in South Africa spend all their monthly income in five days or less after receiving it.
This is according to data from FNB's Retail segment which categorises middle income consumers as those who earn a gross monthly income of between R7,000 up to R60,000.
Raj Makanjee, chief executive of FNB Retail, said that for many consumers it was not only a matter of living from one salary payment to another, the reality is that their monthly salary just does not last for 30 days.
Makanjee encouraged consumers to exercise financial discipline, saying that financial discipline was not dependent on having greater income but requires deliberate steps.
"These consumers tend to struggle with money management, with the shortfall leading to sacrifices in important areas such as having back up or emergency saving that can be used to pay for unforeseen expenses. High spending and limited savings cause consumers to rely on credit to get through the month, making them more vulnerable to be caught in a debt trap," Makanjee said.
Christoph Nieuwoudt, chief executive of FNB Consumer, said more than half of consumers miss at least one debit order over a 12-month period, indicating the pressure consumers are under.
"For almost 40 percent of such customers, debt repayments make up more than half of their take-home-pay, which we consider to be very high. The main driver of this is large numbers of microlender loans and store cards that consumers take up. The ideal scenario for a consumer is to have one provider who gives them a transactional account and the right type of credit when needed," Nieuwoudt said.
The bank said said it had also seen that 30 percent of middle income consumers who are saving, save for emergencies and at least one other longer-term goal.