Maysure Financial Services

15/10/2026

There is some good news in South Africa’s retirement picture, but the numbers still show how important it is to start early and save consistently.

According to the latest Alexforbes Member Insights report, the proportion of members on track to retire with at least 75% of their final salary has improved from 6% in 2021 to 10% in 2025. That is progress, but it also means 9 out of 10 contributing members are still not on track to reach that level of retirement income.

The article highlights one of the biggest reasons why: contribution rates are simply too low. The average retirement fund member is contributing around 11.2% of salary, while the commonly quoted benchmark in the article is 15% over 40 years to target a 75% replacement ratio.

Time also matters enormously, the longer you wait to start saving seriously, the more difficult it becomes to catch up later. Someone who saves consistently over decades has a very different outcome from someone trying to make up the gap in the final years before retirement.

There is another encouraging sign too: more retirement savings are staying invested instead of being withdrawn when people change jobs or retire. Preservation rose to 52% of assets at the end of 2025, up from 44% in 2022.

Retirement planning is not about finding one magic investment, it's about getting a few important things right for a very long time:
- Start as early as you can
- Contribute consistently
- Increase contributions when your income grows
- Preserve your retirement savings when changing jobs
- Give your investments enough time to compound
- Review your retirement plan regularly rather than waiting until retirement is close

If you are already behind, that does not mean it is too late.

It means you need to understand the gap and make deliberate decisions about contributions, investment strategy, retirement age and the income you will realistically need.

The encouraging part of this report is that retirement outcomes can improve, the important part is that they usually improve because people act.

Read the full article on Moneyweb: https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/companies-and-deals/alexforbes-data-shows-10-of-retirees-now-on-track/

Alexforbes Members Insights 2026 reveals most people do not save enough of their salary each month for a sustainable retirement

13/10/2026

Your health plan and your financial plan are more connected than they may seem. This News24 partner article from Fedhealth looks at how medical aid could evolve beyond simply paying claims, towards helping members manage health risks earlier and potentially supporting longer-term financial wellbeing too.

The thinking is straightforward: healthier people may face fewer avoidable medical costs, while people who understand and manage their health risks earlier may be better positioned to protect both their quality of life and their finances.

The article also highlights a broader reality.

People are living longer, healthcare costs continue to rise, and many South African households are already under financial pressure. That means medical expenses, insurance, retirement savings and everyday cash flow increasingly need to be considered together rather than as separate parts of a plan.

Health is a financial-planning issue. An unexpected illness can affect much more than your medical bills. It can affect your income, savings, debt repayments, retirement contributions and the financial stability of your family.

That is why a strong plan should consider:
- Appropriate medical aid and healthcare cover
- An emergency fund for costs medical aid may not cover
- Income protection and disability cover
- Critical illness or severe illness cover where appropriate
- Retirement planning that allows for future healthcare costs
- Preventative care that may help reduce bigger problems later

The article also explores how medical scheme plans to use health assessments, digital tools, wearable data and rewards to encourage members to engage with their health earlier.

Whether or not you use these specific products, the underlying principle is worth paying attention to looking after your health today can help protect your financial options tomorrow.

Good financial planning is not only about building wealth. It is also about protecting your ability to enjoy it.

Read the full article on News24:
https://www.news24.com/brandstory/partner-content/how-staying-healthy-could-become-part-of-your-financial-plan-20260917-0791

Good health gives us the freedom to live life to the full – to work, care for our families, make plans for the future and look forward to what comes next.

12/10/2026

“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” William Bruce Cameron

We often measure success through numbers.

Our income. Our savings. The value of our possessions. The milestones we've reached. But some of life's greatest achievements can't be measured on a spreadsheet.

Having time for the people you love. Feeling secure in the decisions you've made. Being able to enjoy the life you've worked so hard to build.

Financial success isn't only about accumulating more. It's also about having the freedom to focus on what matters most to you. This Monday, remember that a rich life is about more than money.

06/10/2026

Life insurance is important. So why do so many younger South Africans still hesitate to take it out?

BrightRock recently spoke to young South Africans about their concerns around life insurance, and the same themes came up again and again: complexity, affordability, trust, and the feeling of paying for something you may never personally use.

Those concerns are understandable.

Life cover can feel intangible. Unlike a savings account or investment, there is no balance growing on an app. The benefit exists to protect against events most of us would rather not think about, such as death, disability or serious illness.

But that is also exactly why the conversation matters.

Life insurance is not really about “getting your money back”. It is about protecting the financial consequences of something going wrong.

That could mean:

• Settling debt so it does not become someone else’s burden
• Replacing income that a household depends on
• Protecting a child’s education
• Providing financial stability after illness or disability
• Giving your family time to adjust without an immediate financial crisis

The article also highlights another important concern: how much cover is actually enough?

There is no universal answer.

The right amount depends on your debt, income, dependants, monthly expenses, healthcare needs and what you would want your financial responsibilities to look like if your circumstances changed. And because those things change over time, your cover should be reviewed too.

If life insurance feels confusing, the solution should not be to avoid it. It should be to ask better questions.

What exactly am I covered for?
What exclusions apply?
How much cover do I genuinely need?
Can the structure change as my income and responsibilities change?
Who are my beneficiaries, and are they still correct?

Good financial planning should make insurance easier to understand, not bury you in terminology.

You do not need to buy the most cover. You need the right cover for the life you are actually building.

Read the full article from BrightRock:
https://www.brightrock.co.za/media-centre/sa-youth-express-their-concerns-around-life-insurance

For Sarah, a 28-year-old marketing professional, life insurance has always felt like something she knows she needs but struggles to fully connect with. “Mentally wrapping my head around the fact that money is leaving my account now and I won’t really see where it goes, that’s the hard part,...

05/10/2026

“It's not what we have in life, but who we have in our life that matters.” Margaret Laurence

It's easy to measure progress by the things we can count, what we've earned, what we've bought, what we've achieved, and how much further we've moved towards the next goal.

But some of the most valuable parts of a good life will never appear on a balance sheet... The people we come home to, the time we're able to spend together, the memories we create, and the security of knowing the people we love are looked after.

Money is an important tool, but ultimately, it's there to help us build and protect a life that matters to us.

That's something worth remembering as a new week begins.

29/09/2026

There is some encouraging news in South Africa’s interest-rate Outlook, even after the latest rate hike.

Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago says the SARB expects inflation to slow significantly next year and return to its 3% target by around the end of 2027.

That comes after the Reserve Bank increased the repo rate by 25 basis points to 7.25%, as it tries to prevent persistent global price shocks from feeding into longer-term inflation.

So why is this still “good news”?

Because if inflation does move back towards target, it creates a healthier environment for interest rates over time. Stable inflation helps give households, businesses and investors more certainty when planning ahead.

There are also some positive signs in the background. The rand has remained relatively resilient, South Africa’s country risk premium has eased, and longer-term borrowing costs have not risen as sharply as those in some developed markets.

But the picture is still mixed, economic growth remains weak, and global conflict, energy prices and other external shocks continue to create pressure.

Do not build your financial plan around when the next rate cut might happen.

Use the current environment to strengthen your position now.

Review variable-rate debt, avoid unnecessary new credit, keep your emergency fund healthy, and stay focused on long-term savings and retirement goals.

If inflation continues to improve, that could eventually create more breathing room for households. But financial resilience is built before conditions improve, not after.

Read the full article on BusinessTech:
https://businesstech.co.za/news/finance/877273/reserve-bank-governor-lesetja-kganyago-has-good-news-about-interest-rates-for-south-africa/

The South African Reserve Bank is expecting inflation to cool sharply in the coming months and return to its 3% target next year.

28/09/2026

“You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” Jon Kabat-Zinn

Life doesn't always cooperate with the plans we make. Unexpected expenses happen, priorities change, opportunities appear, and sometimes, despite doing everything right, things simply don't go the way we expected.

We can't control every wave that comes our way. What we can control is how we respond, what we learn, and how we adapt when circumstances change.

Being prepared isn't about predicting everything that might happen. It's about building the confidence and resilience to handle life when it does.

Here's to navigating whatever this week brings. 🌊

24/09/2026

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” Marcus Garvey

Heritage is more than where we come from.

It lives in the stories we tell, the traditions we keep, the lessons passed between generations, the languages we speak, the food around our tables and the values we choose to carry forward.

South Africa is home to an extraordinary collection of histories and cultures, each adding something unique to the country we share. 🇿🇦

Today is an opportunity to celebrate those roots, but also to think about what we are adding to them, because one day, the lives we're building now will become part of someone else's heritage.

May we leave them something worth carrying forward.
Happy Heritage Day, South Africa! 🇿🇦

22/09/2026

There may be some good news ahead for South African interest rates.

BusinessTech reports that inflation expectations have eased slightly, with the two-year outlook dropping to 3.8% from 3.9%. That matters because the South African Reserve Bank watches inflation expectations closely when deciding what to do with interest rates.

The article also notes that inflation moderated to 4.3% in July after reaching 5% in June, while the economy contracted by 0.2% in the second quarter. Together, those signals give the Monetary Policy Committee a little more room to weigh inflation risks against weak economic growth.

This is encouraging, but it is not a reason to plan around a rate cut or assume borrowing costs are about to fall.

For households, the better approach is to use any period of stability to strengthen your position.

Review your bond and vehicle repayments, pay down expensive debt where you can, keep building your emergency fund, and avoid making major financial decisions based on one interest-rate meeting.

Economic conditions are still uncertain, especially with oil prices, food costs and global events continuing to influence inflation.

The positive takeaway is that the pressure is not moving in only one direction.

Read the full article on BusinessTech:
https://businesstech.co.za/news/finance/875738/good-news-about-interest-rates-in-south-africa-3/

South Africa's inflation expectations have dropped, according to a survey from the Bureau for Economic Research.

21/09/2026

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” Mark Twain

Sometimes the hardest part isn't doing the thing. It's deciding to begin. We wait until we have more time, more certainty, more money, more information or the perfect plan.

But most meaningful changes don't start with everything neatly figured out.

They start with one decision.
Make the call.
Ask the question.
Review the plan.
Have the conversation.
Take the first step.

You can work out the rest as you go.

This Monday, don't worry about having the entire journey mapped out. Just decide what your next move needs to be.

Have a great week ahead. 🌱