South Africans turn to gambling to pay off debt

• More than half of South African workers are turning to sports betting and online gambling to plug budget shortfalls and to pay off existing debt, with 53% of workers aged 18 to 65 earning at least R8,000 a month engaging in wagering.
• The financial squeeze is most severe among lower- and middle-income households, with 52% of people earning between R8,000 and R15,000 monthly relying on betting as a cash-flow supplement.
• The trend risks worsening household balance sheets, eroding emergency-savings buffers, and deepening debt cycles across Africa's biggest economy.