Retirement planning
Retirement Planning in South Africa
Practical retirement guidance for every stage of the journey.
Retirement planning is the process of working out the income you'll need after you stop working, and building a savings and investment strategy — across your target retirement age, current savings, expected contributions, investment assumptions, inflation, longevity, tax and healthcare needs — to help fund it. It isn't a single product or a once-off decision: it's an ongoing plan that adapts as your circumstances change. A retirement calculator can give you a starting estimate, but a suitable plan depends on your personal circumstances.
What retirement planning covers
Every variable that shapes a suitable plan
Target
Retirement Age
Required
Income
Current
Savings
Expected
Contributions
Investment
Assumptions
Inflation
Rate
Longevity
Estimate
Tax & Healthcare
Needs
Retirement services
Choose where to start
Retirement annuities
Dedicated, tax-efficient long-term retirement saving.
Learn moreLiving & life annuities
Flexible income compared with insurer-guaranteed income.
Learn morePreservation funds
Keep retirement savings invested when you change jobs.
Learn moreRetirement calculator
Estimate how much you may need, free of charge.
Try the calculatorHow much may you need?
Modelling gives an estimate, not a guarantee
A retirement calculator combines your current savings, contributions, assumed investment growth, inflation and target retirement age into an estimate of the income you may be able to draw later. No single percentage or rand figure suits everyone — your required income depends on your own expenses, dependants, health, other assets and how long your retirement may need to last. Modelling is a starting point for a conversation with an adviser, not a fixed answer.
Planning by life stage
Wherever you are, there is a next step
Early career
Build the habit of contributing and let compounding work over a long time horizon.
Mid-career
Review contribution levels and asset allocation as income and responsibilities grow.
Ten years from retirement
Model any projected shortfall while there is still time to adjust course.
Approaching retirement
Decide how retirement savings will convert into a sustainable income.
Already retired
Draw and review income to manage longevity and market risk over time.
Any stage
Review your plan after a job change, inheritance or major life event.
How much investment risk feels right for you?
Complete our guided questionnaire and receive an indicative risk profile in about five minutes.
Building retirement income
Accumulating savings is not the same as drawing an income
While you're working, retirement planning is mostly about accumulation — contributing regularly and letting your investments grow over time, through the same investment planning discipline that shapes any long-term portfolio. Once you retire, the focus shifts to drawing a sustainable income: converting accumulated savings into money you can rely on for an uncertain number of years, while managing market movements, inflation and the risk of drawing down too quickly. Both phases benefit from the same discipline of goals-based, risk-aware planning.
Important retirement risks
What a suitable plan needs to account for
Inflation
Rising living costs can erode purchasing power over a long retirement.
Longevity
Retirement income may need to last longer than expected.
Market volatility
Investment values can fall as well as rise, especially over shorter periods.
Excessive withdrawals
Drawing too much too soon can shorten how long savings last.
Insufficient diversification
Concentrated portfolios magnify the impact of a single asset or market.
Healthcare costs
Medical expenses often rise with age and deserve dedicated planning.
These risks interact with each other, which is why retirement plans should be modelled and reviewed rather than based on a single assumption.
Mbalwa's retirement-planning process
From first conversation to an ongoing plan
Discovery
Understanding your income, savings, debt and existing retirement products.
Retirement modelling
Estimating a required retirement income and any projected shortfall.
Recommendation
Comparing suitable products and strategies against your goals and risk profile.
Implementation
Putting the agreed plan in place with clear documentation.
Regular review
Revisiting the plan as markets, rules and your life change.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about retirement planning
As early as possible — starting early gives your contributions more time to grow. That said, it's never too late to build or adjust a plan, whatever your current age or stage of life.
This depends on your expected expenses, other income sources, dependants, health and how long your retirement may last. A calculator can offer a starting estimate, but a suitable answer requires a personal conversation.
Starting later generally means higher contributions or a later retirement date may be needed to reach a similar outcome. An adviser can model realistic options based on your circumstances.
Depending on your product rules and personal savings, early retirement may be possible, though it typically means your savings must fund a longer retirement. This should be modelled carefully before deciding.
Inflation gradually reduces the purchasing power of a fixed income, which is why retirement plans generally need to account for rising costs over what can be a multi-decade retirement.
Yes — a review can assess whether your current retirement annuity, preservation fund or annuity income still matches your goals, risk profile and time to retirement.
Written and reviewed by Wenzile Mthiyane, CFP®, Key Individual, Mbalwa Investment Services (view profile) · FSP 55090 · Last reviewed 1 July 2026