Starting your first real job with a decent pay check should feel exciting but what if it mostly feels confusing, stressful and a little scary? If you’ve made money mistakes before, missed payments or taken on debt you didn’t fully understand, you’re not alone… and you’re not out of options.

In this episode of Everything Counts, Motheo Khoaripe sits down with Investec’s Keshnie July, Lending Product Owner and Lehlogonolo Ramushu, Credit Risk Consultant, to talk about how young professionals can recover from financial missteps and start building a stronger, more intentional money future.

The conversation tackles what it really takes to bounce back after defaulting, overextending yourself or ignoring those dreaded payment reminders. From understanding your credit report, to budgeting realistically, facing debt head on and asking for help when you need it, this episode breaks down the practical steps that make recovery possible.

The episode also touches on separating needs from wants, avoiding impulse-driven debt, navigating “easy credit” offers and making smarter decisions before taking on new financial commitments. As the discussion shifts toward building wealth, the experts share simple, realistic strategies for saving, creating an emergency fund, paying off debt faster and laying the groundwork for long-term financial security.

If you’re a young professional trying to reset your money mindset, get out of debt or turn your first proper salary into something meaningful, this episode will help you move from survival mode to stability and eventually, to growth.

00:00 Introduction

01:00 Debt management: How to bounce back from money mistakes

02:00 How to build better money habits

03:47 Biggest financial mistakes that young adults make

04:50 Affordability assessment: What young professionals should ask before taking on more debt

06:19 What do you do when you run into financial problems?

08:47 Recovering from debt

10:25 Strategies for building wealth in the long term

10:50 The importance of building an emergency fund

11:20 The importance of having savings

12:10 Practical steps for young professionals starting their wealth journey

15:05 Compare savings accounts with good interest rates

15:20 Conclusion Investec Focus Radio SA