This Women’s Month, we’re shining a light on a quiet crisis facing South African women: South African women retire with 21% less in retirement savings than men. According to the Sanlam Benchmark 2025 Consumer Study, only 8% of female retirement fund members feel very confident they’ll be able to retire comfortably, and nearly half believe they’ll never have enough saved.
The reasons go deeper than pay alone. On average, women earn 76 cents for every R1 men earn – a 24% pay gap that widens to 39% among older women. Add to this the demands of caregiving: women are 10 times more likely than men to be the sole caregiver for their families, and 1.2 times more likely to withdraw from their retirement savings, often to cover school fees.
At Overberg Wealth & Risk Management, we see these realities every day, and we believe they can be planned for.
This Women’s Month, we’re encouraging the women in our community to take stock of where they stand:
- Do you know your current retirement shortfall?
- Is your risk cover (life, disability, income protection) structured around your life, not a generic template?
- Have caregiving responsibilities or career breaks been factored into your financial plan?
A tailored review with our team can help you understand exactly where you stand and what small, practical changes now can mean for your future security.
Book your financial wellness check this August.
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