Household Resilience Under Pressure: Altron Index Reveals Growing Vulnerability
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Guest – Dr Roelof Botha, Economist and compiler of the Altron FinTech Household Resilience Index
South African households remain under financial strain, with the latest Altron FinTech Household Resilience Index (AFHRI) showing a quarter-on-quarter decline of 4.2% in the first quarter of 2025 — despite a modest year-on-year improvement. Rising borrowing costs, falling real incomes, and stubbornly high unemployment have left consumers vulnerable, as restrictive monetary policy continues to weigh heavily on disposable income and household resilience.
We speak to economist Dr Roelof Botha, who compiles the AFHRI, about what these numbers mean for South Africans on the ground. He explains how elevated interest rates, weak job creation, and shrinking real salaries are eroding household stability and whether recent repo rate cuts might finally signal some relief ahead.
South African households remain under financial strain, with the latest Altron FinTech Household Resilience Index (AFHRI) showing a quarter-on-quarter decline of 4.2% in the first quarter of 2025 — despite a modest year-on-year improvement. Rising borrowing costs, falling real incomes, and stubbornly high unemployment have left consumers vulnerable, as restrictive monetary policy continues to weigh heavily on disposable income and household resilience.
We speak to economist Dr Roelof Botha, who compiles the AFHRI, about what these numbers mean for South Africans on the ground. He explains how elevated interest rates, weak job creation, and shrinking real salaries are eroding household stability and whether recent repo rate cuts might finally signal some relief ahead.
