The gap between South Africans who are financially secure and those struggling to make ends meet is growing, as more workers take on debt and turn to gambling in an attempt to stay afloat, according to the Old Mutual Savings & Investment Monitor 2026. Rather than borrowing for discretionary spending, many said they were taking on debt to meet basic needs. More than half (53%) of employed South Africans gamble, while four in 10 (42%) said they often gamble to help cover household expenses or pay off debt, up slightly from 40% in 2025. The proportion of working South Africans who said gambling had caused them financial difficulty rose from 12% in 2025 to 22% in 2026. The report also found that gambling is particularly common among younger South Africans and men.