“Rather Tithe to Your Parents”: Woman’s R9.3K Salary Breakdown With Tithes Sparks an Online Debate

• A South African woman broke down her entire salary in a photo post online, sparking a huge debate
• She joined a trending challenge on TikTok, where people publicly share how much they earn and their monthly expenses
• Her decision to prioritise church tithes sparked mixed reactions, with many praising her faith and others expressing financial concerns
• Briefly News spoke with Ditsego Morupe, a deacon at a local church, about the importance of tithing

Mzansi's money talk got real after one woman dropped her full salary breakdown, including her 10% tithes that she takes to church, religiously, every month.

Her post was shared on her TikTok handle @sanelycollection09 and it had online users split, as some loved it, and others were concerned.

The woman breaks down her salary

The picture post shared on the video streaming platform has a list of @sanelycollection09's monthly expenses on the R9360. First on the list is R930, for tithes, followed by R1800 for fuel. She also pays R247 for a funeral policy, R4000 for hardware, R2000 for a stokvel, and R300 for toiletries.

Unlike other lists of expenditures shared on the platform, her list excluded necessities such as car insurance, electricity bills, and food. In the comment section, she responded to a user explaining that her husband takes care of all the other bills.

Watch the TikTok video below:

A conversation about tithings

As Mzansi continue to wrestle with the realities of money, faith, and priorities, one woman’s decision to put church tithes at the top of her monthly budget sparked a powerful national debate online.

In response to the debate, the Briefly News team reached out to deacon Ditsego Morupe, a longtime servant in the ministry, for his perspective on the matter that's been trending across social media.

We asked the deacon what his thoughts are on the woman's 9.3K monthly salary breakdown. He said:

"I am deeply moved. In a world that often tells us to hold on tightly to what we earn, she chose to honour God firts. Thta's not easy, wspecially with a moest salary like hers. It shows spiritual maturity and trust, qualities we preach, but don't always see in practice."

Some people online questioned why she would tithe without first investing or saving. We asked the man what his take was on the criticism. The God-fearing-man responded:

"I understand the concern, it's about acknowledging God as the source. In her case, she explained that her husband covers other expenses. That tells me they're functioning as a team, and her tithe is an act of partnership with God, not reckless."

When asked what he would say to young Christians who are struggling to tithe while managing tight budgets. The deacon added:

"Start small with what you have, and let your giving be led by faith, not fear. God is not watching the amount, He's watching the heart. Tithing isn't a tax. It's an act of love, trust, and worship. Even if it's R50 out of R500, give it cheerfully. God will honour that."

Mzansi reacts to the expense list

The post attracted 692K views, 24K likes, and 2.7K comments from social media users, who had mixed feelings. Many were impressed to see tithes topping the list and praised her for putting her faith first. Others followed her just for that, saying she was already winning by prioritising spirituality.

Some were worried about her financial security, pointing out her lack of investments, savings, and life cover. Others even suggested she combine the hardware and amount with the tithes and pay more toward building a property than paying it in church.

User @mphopearl_ said:

"You won this trend for me, I don't care🔥❤️. I'm proud of you, my fellow Christian sister."

User @_owacelwa added:

"Rather, tithe to your parents, they represent God in your life."

User @TrevPlays commented:

"Tithing was Old Covenant law for Israel. In the New Covenant, giving is from the heart — 'not reluctantly or under compulsion' (2 Cor 9:7)."

User @Ntokozo Masuku shared:

"I love how you included tithe, you're so real for this🙌🫂."

User @Dineo said:

"Paying tithe, no savings, no investments, no trusts, no emergency fund."

User @MaTwala asked:

"Toiletries R300 😫 kanti mina ngifika kanjani ko (how does mine get to) R1000+ lapho (meanwhile) I’m always blaming Clicks ukuthi uyangirobha (they are robbing me).

3 Briefly News salary-related articles

• A local accountant shared a monthly breakdown of expenses sent by a woman earning R64K, showing R10K monthly groceries and R17K school fees among her high costs.
• A 33-year-old man had online users wowed after flexing his R100K total monthly income in a viral TikTok salary trend, earning praise online.
• A single 26-year-old mother of one flexed her R4,800 salary, and many social media users advised her to look for another job.

Source: Briefly News