While South Africans are becoming more actively involved in retirement planning, the findings of the 2026 FNB Retirement Insights Survey show that having a plan in place does not necessarily translate into retirement readiness.
Now in its fourth year, the survey tracks how South Africans think about, prepare for, and experience retirement.
This year’s responses revealed that retirement readiness is increasingly shaped by how people access information, which products they use, how they manage debt, and whether they can balance today’s financial pressures with tomorrow’s financial security.
One of the clearest findings of this year’s results is that retirement readiness is built over time through a combination of financial decisions and products.
Many South Africans are already doing something about retirement. They may be contributing to a retirement fund, saving when they can, investing, building a business, or planning to use an asset later in life.
However, while these actions are important, there are still significant gaps in overall preparedness, because a complete retirement strategy is rarely built around a single product or decision.
Here are the three main trends that came out of the findings of the 2026 survey:
1. The Need for Simpler Access Pathways
Concerningly, the 2026 survey shows that 24% of under-60s without a retirement plan say that they do not know where to access savings and investment products – almost double the 13% recorded in 2025.
A further 53% say that they cannot afford to save because their disposable income is spent elsewhere, while 21% say that they rely on assets they can sell at retirement, instead of formal retirement products.
These findings highlight the need for simpler pathways into retirement planning.
The strongest retirement strategies balance growth with access, flexibility with discipline, and today’s pressing needs with tomorrow’s long-term security.
Retirement annuities, pensions, and provident funds, preservation products, tax-free savings, emergency savings, insurance, and estate planning can all play different roles, but it is vital that they are combined in a way that delivers the desired retirement outcome.
2. The Rise in Technology Usage
The 2026 findings also show that technology is changing how people access financial information.
AI is becoming an important entry point for many consumers who want financial information that is easy to access, simple to understand, and available without judgement. For people who feel out of their depth in financial conversations, AI can make it easier to ask questions, build knowledge, and explore options.
The survey found that AI is acting as a financial activation tool, particularly among younger and lower-income consumers. Lower-income consumers who use AI consult more sources of financial advice overall, and are more likely to hold investment products such as unit trusts and tax-free savings accounts.
The findings also show a strong relationship between AI use and formal retirement planning, with lower-income consumers who use AI significantly more likely to have a retirement plan.
However, AI should not be viewed as a replacement for advice. While AI can help close the information gap, it does not fully close the gap between understanding options and making the right decision.
Consumers still need trusted human advice to validate information, contextualise it, and turn it into a plan that fits their income, goals, responsibilities, and life stage. AI creates access, while the adviser helps create the plan.
3. The Continual Dipping into Retirement Savings
Continued use of the two-pot retirement system is another major theme in the 2026 research findings. The survey found that 49% of under-60s with retirement products have made a two-pot withdrawal since the system was introduced.
The main reasons for withdrawing were immediate financial needs, with 46% of those who made withdrawals doing so to cover day-to-day expenses, 36% to purchase appliances, and 35% to pay off debt. This highlights the tension that many households face between present budgetary pressures and future financial wellbeing.
The two-pot system gives people a choice, and the findings show that many are choosing now over later. That is understandable in a difficult financial environment, but it also reinforces why retirement planning cannot be separated from broader financial wellbeing.
Debt, emergencies, and everyday expenses all affect the ability to preserve retirement savings.
Conclusion
The findings should encourage consumers to take practical, informed steps.
Retirement planning should not feel like a once-off exercise that happens only when retirement is near. It should be an ongoing conversation that evolves as life changes.
The earlier people understand their options and get the right guidance, the better their chances of building a retirement plan that can withstand the pressures of real life.
WRITTEN BY BHEKI MKHIZE AND SAMUKELO ZWANE
Bheki Mkhize and Samukelo Zwane are leaders in the wealth and investment industry.
While every reasonable effort is taken to ensure the accuracy and soundness of the contents of this publication, neither writers of articles nor the publisher will bear any responsibility for the consequences of any actions based on information or recommendations contained herein. Our material is for informational purposes.