Soaring subscription bills may indicate subscription fatigue in SA households

Loading player...
GUEST – Doret Jooste - Standard Bank’s Head of Money Management and Advisory



Wi-Fi and data have become everyday essentials in many South African households, providing connectivity to the world through entertainment, social media, and global news. For many, these offer relief from daily stress – but they’ve also fuelled a surge in household subscription costs.

Standard Bank data shows subscription spending has risen sharply, eating into disposable income.



“We all deserve to spend a portion of our incomes on things that bring joy and comfort. But as incomes rise, so do expenses – often unconsciously. This 'lifestyle inflation,' including growing subscription costs, can shrink disposable income and delay emergency savings,” says Standard Bank’s Head of Money Management and Advisory, Doret Jooste.
20 May 2025 2PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

INSIDE YOUR BUSINESS: Transformation fund: opportunity or threat for SMEs?

The government is preparing to launch a revamped Transformation Fund as early as next week, rewriting incentives that have shaped corporate behaviour for more than two decades. Joining Gugulethu today is Jamell Khan from Unconventional CA (UCA), who has been vocal about the risks of centralising corporate transformation funds.
28 Jan 1PM 12 min

SAFDA’s plan to rescue Tongaat-Hulett and protect farmers’ livelihoods

South Africa’s sugar industry faces a critical moment as Tongaat-Hulett, one of the country’s oldest and most prominent sugar producers, confronts provisional liquidation despite ongoing efforts to stabilise the business. South African Farmers’ Development Association (SAFDA), led by Chairperson Dr Siyabonga Madlala, has stepped in to assure farmers and employees…
19 Feb 2PM 17 min

South African professionals are facing a new era of stress

South African professionals are facing a new era of stress, one that is no longer confined to busy periods or isolated pressures but embedded in the fabric of everyday life. The 2025 Profmed Stress Index released on Thursday reveals a workforce grappling with financial strain, toxic workplace cultures, systemic instability…
19 Feb 2PM 11 min