“R100K a Month Is Not Enough”: Cape Town Mom Breaks Down Her Family’s Budget in Viral Instagram Clip

A social media strategist from Somerset West has sparked widespread conversation online after posting an Instagram video breaking down exactly why a R100,000 monthly salary is no longer enough for a family to live comfortably in Mzansi. She used her own household as the example.

Magriet Groenewald posted the clip on 29 April 2026, citing a report by the Daily Investor that examined the budget of a household earning R100,000 a month.

According to Groenewald, the single biggest expense on that budget is SARS. She then walked her followers through her own family’s monthly expenses, a mom, dad, and two teenage daughters based in Somerset West in the Western Cape:

• Tax (SARS): R30,000
• Housing: R30,000
• Vehicles: R15,000
• Medical aid: R10,000
• Water and electricity: R10,000
• Education: R7,000
• Fuel: R5,000 - Lower than average because the family works from home.
• Groceries: R6,000–R8,000
• Insurance: R6,000
• DSTV: R799
• Phones: R1,800
• Internet: R1,000
• Gym: R700

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When added up, Groenewald calculates total expenses at approximately R86,000. This leaves the family in the red once tax is factored in, with no provision for savings.

“There you see, a salary of R100,000, you’re only going to have R70,000 for expenses. So we would be over that budget. And I didn’t even include savings,” she said.

She noted that costs vary depending on where in the country a family lives, and encouraged her followers to share what they’re paying for housing.

Magriet Groenewald speaks to Briefly News

Briefly News reached out to Magriet Groenewald, who said she shared her family’s budget to encourage more transparency regarding personal finances. She believes that keeping money matters “in the dark” can lead to poor financial decisions and unnecessary social pressure.

“We need to tell people, listen, this is the situation, and this will also help us to live within our means,” she said.

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“You shouldn’t feel pressure because someone on social media is showing off. Most of the influencers that we follow get all these stuff for free.”

One of the most eye-opening parts of the experience for Groenewald was realising how much her family actually spends on food.

She said that her husband handles the shopping because she is an “emotional buyer,” noting that many people, including herself, often do not realise where their money goes until they see it on paper.

See the breakdown in the Instagram clip below:

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News