25 Years of Financial Progress: How South Africa’s Middle Class Has Evolved

Loading player...
GUEST: Thabiso Tshabalala, FNB Credit Card Product Head
South Africa’s middle-income earners have changed dramatically over the past 25 years from cash-based consumers to digitally fluent, financially conscious individuals who are saving, investing, and stretching every rand further.
As FNB Premier celebrates its 25th anniversary, new data reveals a generation that’s learned to bank smarter, live within their means, and use technology to drive their goals. More than 90% of customers now bank digitally, earning over R5 billion in eBucks since 2000.
In conversation with FNB Credit Card Product Head Thabiso Tshabalala, we explore how the country’s middle class has evolved who they are today, what financial pressures and opportunities define them, and how FNB is supporting this group through tools, rewards, and responsible credit design that help them build wealth and support their families.
10 Nov 2025 3PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

Careers Corner: Fixing Youth Unemployment by Starting at Age Four

With youth unemployment at 61%, Afrika Tikkun argues that South Africa is intervening far too late. Afrika Tikkun’s Marc Lubner explains why the Cradle‑to‑Career 360° model—from early childhood to job placement—is the missing link in solving the jobs crisis. A powerful conversation on early intervention, soft skills, agripreneurship, and rethinking…
15 Jun 4PM 14 min

Construction Confidence Slumps as Costs Surge

The FNB/BER Building Confidence Index drops to 38 as rising internal costs, Middle East conflict pressures, and project postponements hit the sector hard. FNB Senior Economist Siphamandla Mkhwanazi unpacks the collapse in subcontractor confidence, the reversal in non‑residential activity, and whether early‑pipeline indicators offer any hope for recovery.
15 Jun 4PM 9 min

SA Manufacturing Confidence Climbs Despite Cost Shock

The Q2 Absa Manufacturing Survey shows confidence rising even as business conditions deteriorate sharply. Sachin Chanderdhev, Sector Specialist for Manufacturing at Absa Business Banking. breaks down the paradox: record raw material spikes, shipping disruptions, fuel costs, and the 8.76% electricity tariff increase—and how manufacturers are still managing to adapt, negotiate…
15 Jun 3PM 14 min

Wealth Creation: What SA Women Get Right About Money

The inaugural Franc Wealth Index reveals a surprising truth: South African women outperform men financially — not because they earn more, but because they behave differently. Franc Co-Founder Sebastian Patel unpacks the behavioural edge, the confidence gap, and why consistency beats cleverness every time.
15 Jun 3PM 13 min

Black Ownership on the JSE, BMF Report Findings

A groundbreaking new report reveals that actual black ownership in the JSE Top 60 sits at just R255 billion—far below public perception. Monde Ndlovu, Managing Director of the Black Management Forum (BMF), joins us to unpack the myths, the measurement failures, the rise of broad‑based schemes, and the structural barriers…
15 Jun 3PM 24 min