Gamblers gave the pattern a name: "impatient with poverty".
Picture: iStock
As the high cost of living pushes more South Africans to search for ways to make ends meet, gambling has become attractive for those desperate for extra cash. For some, the need to put food on the table is being weighed against the hope of hitting a big payout, with people choosing to place bets rather than spend their limited money on food.
The Zaka Index 2.0 has revealed that people, especially youth, overlook what their gambling spending can do. Take, for example, R50; this may look like a small amount to place a bet with a potential payout of R10 000, but the same R50 can buy food or cover taxi fare.
The report, released by Blackbullion South Africa and the Sanlam Foundation, found that most people who gamble are “impatient with poverty”.
Gamblers spend R50 per session
The report surveyed respondents across all nine provinces and included two focus groups with youth ambassadors. 90% of survey respondents were aged 18 to 34.
The findings showed that 35% of the respondents had gambled at least once in the previous three months, and among the subgroup of 500 respondents who had gambled, around a third spent R50 or more per session.
Half had gambled once or twice during the period, while 10% gambled weekly or more often.
‘Impatient with poverty’
Leana de Beer, founder and CEO of WaFunda, said the focus-group participants gave the pattern a name: being ‘impatient with poverty’.
They described the appeal of putting down R5, R12 or R30 and imagining it becoming thousands overnight. In an environment of limited income and uncertain opportunity, the wager can offer what one participant called “a form of daydreaming” – permission to imagine a sudden escape.
“What concerns us is that gambling is not seen as entertainment. Young people described it as a possible route out of hardship,” she said.
“When social feeds repeatedly show the winning ticket but hide the losses, a bet can start to resemble a legitimate hustle. A small stake then feels harmless, even when that money has another essential job like paying for food, transport or data. We need to help young people recognise the probability, promotion and opportunity cost behind the promise before they place the next bet.”
Easily accessible
The report found that 65% of respondents in the gambling subgroup used online casino games, 46% used sports betting, and 25% used Aviator-style games.
Participants said betting slips and supposed winning codes circulate through social media and WhatsApp groups, while advertising appears around the sports and personalities they already follow.
According to the report, one participant described a university computer room becoming an informal sports-betting venue during major football matches.
Another said social media posts encouraged her to try betting. After losing repeatedly, she began to see the R50 stake differently, as money that could have bought food.
People don’t see gambling as risky anymore
The report highlighted that this visibility can make gambling feel social and routine rather than risky. Wins are public; losing tickets and cumulative spending usually are not. “The bookmaker now sits on the same phone used for banking, studying, job hunting and financial guidance,” reads the report.
“The findings from the Zaka Index reinforce that financial decisions are shaped by far more than income alone. Young people are navigating financial pressure, digital influence, social expectations, and an ever-growing volume of information, all before they make a spending decision,” said Ray-ann Sedres, head of the Sanlam Foundation.
“This is why financial education has to keep pace with the digital environments young people engage with every day. It is not enough to tell someone that gambling is risky. Young people need the knowledge, confidence and practical tools to assess probability, question paid promotions, identify misinformation and understand the trade-offs behind their financial choices.”
When a small bet competes with essentials
The report revealed that 82% of respondents received less than R6 000 a month, 71% said their income only just covered or did not cover everyday needs, and 24% could cover an unexpected R1 000 expense from savings.
71% had eaten less or skipped meals because they lacked money for food. 70% reported at least one exposure to a scam or risky-finance activity, including fake jobs, betting-tip groups, forex or crypto schemes, fake online shops, difficult debt, pyramid schemes and loan sharks.
At the same time, about half had acted on online money guidance and said it helped. “The same feed can therefore teach, sell hope and expose a young person to harm. Digital access has lowered barriers to financial information and participation. Still, it has also made it harder to distinguish qualified guidance from a persuasive social media personality, paid promotion or ‘sure win’ promise,” noted the report.
What financial breathing room could unlock
The report also asked what the respondents would do first if their income increased – many described ambitions that could strengthen their own futures and those of their families. Some would save or invest, while others would start a business, support family members or further their studies.
Their responses suggest that the opportunity cost of repeated risky spending can extend beyond today’s meal, taxi trip or data bundle. With greater financial security and trusted guidance, more money could instead flow towards assets, education, enterprise and economic participation.
“Young people do not need another lecture about money, and the answer cannot be to judge them for wanting a faster route out of financial pressure,” said Tshepo Kgapane, product lead at Blackbullion South Africa.
“Our role is to make the risk visible before the next decision, to show what the odds mean, how digital promotion shapes behaviour and what that R50 could otherwise cover.”
Here’s how gamblers can make a more informed decision:
- Make the maths real: Financial education should use familiar choices and amounts – a stipend, groceries, taxi fare, data or a bet – so probability and opportunity cost are visible before money moves.
- Make influence visible: Betting influencers and other paid financial content should be clearly disclosed, while claims about wins should carry honest context about odds, losses and repeated spending.
- Get help early, and know where to look: If gambling, debt or a “quick-win” mindset is starting to affect your budget, speak to a trusted financial adviser, counsellor or support service before it becomes harder to manage. Young people also need accessible, credible financial education and support before any harm has occurred.
