Mzansify — Tax Guides & Articles https://mzansify.co/blog Practical South African tax, savings, debt, and personal finance guides. Updated for the latest SARS tax year. en-ZA Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Understanding VAT in South Africa: The 15% Tax on Everything You Buy https://mzansify.co/blog/vat-south-africa https://mzansify.co/blog/vat-south-africa What VAT is, who pays it, zero-rated items, exempt supplies, and when businesses must register. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT What's Your Hourly Rate? How to Convert Your SA Salary https://mzansify.co/blog/salary-hourly-rate https://mzansify.co/blog/salary-hourly-rate Why knowing your hourly rate matters and how working days are calculated in South Africa. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT The Power of Compound Interest: How R1,000 a Month Becomes R2 Million https://mzansify.co/blog/compound-interest-power https://mzansify.co/blog/compound-interest-power How compound interest works in South African rands, with worked examples showing the cost of waiting. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT How Much Car Can You Actually Afford? A South African's Guide to Vehicle Finance https://mzansify.co/blog/car-finance-guide https://mzansify.co/blog/car-finance-guide Understanding vehicle finance in SA: NCA fees, balloon payments, bank comparison, and the true cost of credit. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT The Complete Guide to Home Loan Repayments in South Africa https://mzansify.co/blog/home-loan-guide https://mzansify.co/blog/home-loan-guide How home loan repayments work, why extra payments matter, and comparing bank fees across the big four. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Personal Loans in South Africa: What They Really Cost https://mzansify.co/blog/personal-loan-costs https://mzansify.co/blog/personal-loan-costs The true cost of unsecured personal loans including NCA fees, interest, and how to compare offers. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT The Minimum Payment Trap: Why Your Credit Card Could Take 20 Years to Pay Off https://mzansify.co/blog/minimum-payment-trap https://mzansify.co/blog/minimum-payment-trap How credit card minimum payments keep you in debt, and strategies to pay off faster. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Lost Your Job? Here's Exactly How Much UIF Will Pay You — And For How Long https://mzansify.co/blog/uif-benefit-guide https://mzansify.co/blog/uif-benefit-guide How UIF benefits are calculated, the IRR sliding scale, credit days, and how to claim. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Understanding Your Electricity Bill: How Eskom's Block Tariff Works https://mzansify.co/blog/electricity-bill-explained https://mzansify.co/blog/electricity-bill-explained How the Inclining Block Tariff works, prepaid vs conventional, and tips to reduce your bill. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Two-Pot Retirement Withdrawal: How Much Tax Will You Actually Pay? https://mzansify.co/blog/two-pot-withdrawal-tax https://mzansify.co/blog/two-pot-withdrawal-tax How savings pot withdrawals are taxed at marginal rates, worked examples, and the long-term cost of withdrawing. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Provisional Tax in South Africa: A Freelancer's Complete Guide https://mzansify.co/blog/provisional-tax-guide https://mzansify.co/blog/provisional-tax-guide Who is a provisional taxpayer, the two payment periods, and how to avoid the 10% underestimation penalty. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT The Complete Cost of Buying Property in South Africa https://mzansify.co/blog/property-buying-costs https://mzansify.co/blog/property-buying-costs All the upfront costs beyond the purchase price: transfer duty, attorney fees, bond registration, and deeds office fees. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT How Much Do You Need to Retire in South Africa? Probably More Than You Think https://mzansify.co/blog/retirement-how-much https://mzansify.co/blog/retirement-how-much The SA retirement crisis, the 15-17× rule, RA tax deductions, and two-pot impact on savings. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Retrenchment in South Africa: Know Your Rights and Calculate Your Package https://mzansify.co/blog/retrenchment-rights https://mzansify.co/blog/retrenchment-rights BCEA minimum severance, notice periods, leave payout, tax treatment, and CCMA referral rights. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT SBC Tax vs Turnover Tax: Which Is Better for Your Small Business? https://mzansify.co/blog/sbc-vs-turnover-tax https://mzansify.co/blog/sbc-vs-turnover-tax Side-by-side comparison of SBC and turnover tax at various income levels. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Saving in South Africa: TFSA, Fixed Deposits, and Building Your Emergency Fund https://mzansify.co/blog/saving-in-sa https://mzansify.co/blog/saving-in-sa Comparing TFSA, fixed deposits, and emergency fund strategies for SA savers. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Drowning in Debt? Snowball vs Avalanche vs Consolidation — Which Strategy Works Best https://mzansify.co/blog/debt-strategies https://mzansify.co/blog/debt-strategies The three debt repayment strategies explained with SA-specific context. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Going Solar in South Africa: Costs, Savings, and Break-Even https://mzansify.co/blog/solar-guide-sa https://mzansify.co/blog/solar-guide-sa How solar systems pay for themselves with Eskom tariff increases of 12-15% per year. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT The True Cost of Owning a Car in South Africa https://mzansify.co/blog/true-cost-of-car https://mzansify.co/blog/true-cost-of-car Beyond the instalment: insurance, fuel, maintenance, tyres, licence, and depreciation add up fast. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT How to Transfer Your Tax Free Savings Account (Without Losing Contribution Room) https://mzansify.co/blog/how-to-transfer-tfsa https://mzansify.co/blog/how-to-transfer-tfsa Step-by-step guide to transferring your TFSA from one provider to another. Avoid the withdrawal trap that costs 40% in penalties. Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tax Free Savings Accounts in South Africa: The Complete Guide https://mzansify.co/blog/tax-free-savings-complete-guide https://mzansify.co/blog/tax-free-savings-complete-guide Everything you need to know about TFSAs — contribution limits, tax benefits, penalties for over-contributing, and the withdrawal trap. Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT TFSA Investment Types: Savings Account vs ETFs vs Unit Trusts https://mzansify.co/blog/tfsa-investment-types https://mzansify.co/blog/tfsa-investment-types Compare the different TFSA product types — bank savings, money market, ETFs, and unit trusts — and choose the right one for your goals. Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Small Business Corporation Tax Benefits in South Africa https://mzansify.co/blog/sbc-tax-benefits https://mzansify.co/blog/sbc-tax-benefits How qualifying small businesses can benefit from reduced progressive tax rates instead of the flat 27% corporate rate. Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Capital Gains Tax: A Beginner's Guide for SA Investors https://mzansify.co/blog/capital-gains-beginners-guide https://mzansify.co/blog/capital-gains-beginners-guide Learn how capital gains tax works in South Africa, including exclusions, inclusion rates, and primary residence relief. Sat, 04 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT How Medical Tax Credits Work in South Africa https://mzansify.co/blog/medical-tax-credits https://mzansify.co/blog/medical-tax-credits Understand Section 6A and 6B medical tax credits, who qualifies, and how to claim them. Fri, 03 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Transfer Duty Explained: What Property Buyers Need to Know https://mzansify.co/blog/transfer-duty-explained https://mzansify.co/blog/transfer-duty-explained Everything you need to know about transfer duty in South Africa, including rates, exemptions, and who pays. Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Understanding South African Income Tax Brackets (2025/2026) https://mzansify.co/blog/understanding-sa-income-tax https://mzansify.co/blog/understanding-sa-income-tax A complete guide to how SARS income tax brackets work, including rebates, thresholds, and how to calculate your tax. Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT