There have been mixed reactions to Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana’s annual Budget Speech this week. The general feeling is that while the financial manoeuvrings by National Treasury are commendable, there appears very little faith in government’s ability to execute what needs to be done to bring the country back on track. 

In this podcast Maya and Thomas Lobban from Tax Consulting South Africa unpack the budget. What does it mean for South Africa’s debt levels and what does it mean for our taxes?

Since March 2001, all South Africans have been legally required to declare and pay tax on their annual worldwide income, irrespective of where they live. So even if you have been living abroad for a few years, you are still considered a resident for tax purposes, unless you can objectively prove to SARS your intention to remain outside the country permanently. 
With the introduction of a formal SARS Non-Resident Tax Status Confirmation Letter in 2021, South African expatriates can now confirm their tax status. However, getting one of these is neither automatic nor easy, requiring applicants to follow stringent residency cessation and verification processes to qualify as non-residents for tax purposes. 
In this podcast Maya chats to expat tax attorney Martin Bezuidenhout about what you need to know to qualify for the letter and understanding the tax implications of ceasing tax residency. 

What is the best blend of investment products that will provide you with a sustainable, tax-efficient income in retirement?
While there is no question that the pre-retirement tax benefit from investing in a retirement annuity is significant, to what extent is an RA tax efficient over the full course of your financial plan which includes the 20-odd years you will be drawing a retirement income? In this podcast Maya speaks to financial planner Wynand Gouws, author of To 100 and Beyond, about the most tax efficient portfolio for retirement. 

“I needed to be braver” is how 2022 Money Makeover runner-up Zinzy described her financial situation when she entered the money bootcamp six months ago. In this open and frank conversation, Zinzy talks about the courage it took to have difficult discussions with people who owed her money and taking her head out the sand to tackle conversations with creditors including SARS. “I was an ignorer of note,” admits Zinzy. In this podcast discussion Maya is joined by both Zinzy and Absa financial adviser Phumzile Dube, who Zinzy refers to as her “financial therapist”. Zinzy’s journey is one many South Africans will relate to and a lot can be learnt from her journey and her lessons. 

It is possible to turn your finances around in just six months. The Money Makeover Challenge has proven this over and again. The stories from the candidates who enter are testament to the fact that financial freedom is not about miracles, it is about having a plan, a partner and discipline. In this podcast Maya speaks to the 2022 Money Makeover winner, township entrepreneur Mpho along with his biggest cheerleader, Absa financial adviser Gladnes Masia about how, in just six months, he turned his take away food business from a drain on his finances to making a profit. 

Medical scheme membership is expensive and it becomes more expensive every year. The average family pays R6000 or more a month for their medical scheme benefits, yet Andre Jacobs author of “Medical Schemes Explained: Your Ultimate Guide to Using Your Medical Scheme Efficiently” argues that many are paying too much, simply because they do not understand the way their scheme works. In this podcast Maya and Andre discuss the importance of understanding your medical scheme and what to do if your scheme will not cover expenses. 

Earning your first pay cheque and balancing the many financial demands is challenging for any graduate. For those who are the first in their family to become a professional, there are even greater expectations and financial demands. In this podcast Maya speaks to Akhona Modi, a Financial Planner at BDO, about both the practical and emotional aspects of meeting the expectations of family. 

“Many people see the stock market as an exclusive club or that only professionals understand it well enough to succeed, but really investing is more accessible than ever,” says Moroko Modiba, managing director of Fatima Capital and author of “The Wise Investor: The Beginners Guide to making money on the stock market”. 
In this podcast Maya and Moroko discuss investment strategies for those starting out. They discuss how to create a core portfolio and how to use this as a building block to investing in individual stocks.

The only thing certain in life is death and taxes and this is particularly true when it comes to our wills. While we can never cheat death, by drawing up a will and doing some basic estate planning we can reduce, and provide for, the fees and taxes, leaving more of our assets as a family legacy.

In this podcast Maya speaks to wills and estate specialist Alex Simeonides, CEO of Capital Legacy about the do’s and don’ts when it comes to writing up a will.

COVID-19 is here to stay. So how do we best protect ourselves over the long term? 

Discovery Life Deputy Chief Executive, Gareth Friedlander, and Chief Medical Officer, Dr Maritha van der Walt, break down the data around the risk factors when it comes to COVID-19, how we can improve our health and protect against unknown diseases. We also unpack the risks of long-covid, how to plan your recovery and how long-covid is assessed as a potential severe illness claim.

Every life is unique, and life can be unpredictable. While some of life’s events may be unpredictable, there are ways to both mitigate and protect us from today’s risks. In this podcast series, Life behind the numbers, Maya talks to Discovery Life experts about the kinds of risks we’re all up against – in facts and figures – and how to protect against those risks.

This is a four part series on life cover in partnership with Discovery Life