If there’s one piece of financial advice that experts agree on in 2025, it’s this: start saving early. It might not feel urgent in your 20s, but building good habits now can set the foundation for lifelong financial security.
According to financial educator and influencer Kyla Scanlon emphasizes that the key isn’t how much you save—but how soon you start. Thanks to the power of compound interest, even small, consistent contributions can grow significantly over time.
Here’s how it works:
When you save money in an interest-bearing account or investment, you don’t just earn interest on your original amount—you earn interest on the interest. Over time, this “snowball effect” accelerates your growth, especially when you start young and give your money decades to work for you.
For example, saving just R500 a month from age 25 could result in a retirement nest egg of over R1 million by your 60s, depending on the return rate. Wait until 35, and you’d need to save nearly double that monthly to reach the same amount.
Getting started is simple:
- Open a tax-free savings account or retirement annuity
- Set up automatic monthly deposits—even small ones
- Increase your savings as your income grows
In short, the earlier you begin, the less pressure there is later. Your future self will thank you.