Nicola Mawson

Freelance Journalist

Bracket Creep: Will the 2026 Budget be a silent salary thief?

Nicola Mawson|Published

With the 2026 National Budget approaching, South Africans face the looming threat of bracket creep, a hidden tax that could silently erode disposable income. Will ...

National Budget: without tax breaks, inflation will quietly push you into a higher tax bracket

Nicola Mawson|Published

While Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is unlikely to announce a dramatic increase in personal income tax rates when he tables the National Budget next Wednesday, ...

Latest CPI inflation numbers open the door to a possible interest rate cut, economists say

Nicola Mawson|Published

A modest dip in inflation has economists pointing to potential rate relief. While headline numbers look benign, persistent increases in essentials like food and ...

ANALYSIS | The slow death of prime and what it means for your home loan

Nicola Mawson|Published

Your loan won’t change overnight. But the Reserve Bank’s rethink of the prime rate could gradually reshape how South Africans experience the cost of debt.

A disputed will, an eviction and some unforgettable last wishes

Nicola Mawson|Published

A High Court fight over a grandmother’s will is just the beginning. Across South Africa, final wishes have included revenge conditions, funeral celebrations and ...

Losing your heart without losing your investment

Nicola Mawson|Published

Love may be blind, but banks, pension funds and credit agreements are not. From hidden debt and merged credit profiles to panic-driven divorce settlements and pension ...

How Ramaphosa’s army deployment could protect mining billions

Nicola Mawson|Published

With gold prices hitting record highs, a dramatic new military intervention aims to stop the multi-billion rand " leakage" from illegal mining and finally unlock ...

SONA: Ramaphosa bets on R1 trillion infrastructure blitz to cement economic recovery

Nicola Mawson|Published

Ramaphosa bets R1 trillion on a ‘construction-led’ recovery as investors flood an oversubscribed bond. Is South Africa’s economic tide finally turning?

The State of the Economy: Reforms, resilience, and the long walk to 3%

Nicola Mawson|Published

Is South Africa on the brink of significant economic growth? Explore how Operation Vulindlela could transform the economy and the challenges that lie ahead.

The State of South Africa’s water crisis: A national disaster

Nicola Mawson|Updated

Will South Africans hear President Cyril Ramaphosa call the water crisis a national disaster tonight? That's what The South African Human Rights Commission wants. ...

The taxman is coming for your money

Nicola Mawson|Published

SARS spent its festive period reconciling individual taxpayer accounts, matched third-party data and are preparing for collection.

Can South Africa's beer drinkers protect Heineken jobs amid global cuts?

Nicola Mawson|Published

While Heineken slashes 6,000 global roles, South Africa’s " excellent" 2025 growth has positioned the local market as a protected priority hub.

Raging Bull Awards marks 30 years of recognising SA’s investment excellence

Nicola Mawson|Published

The Raging Bull Awards celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, with South Africa’s top investment managers competing for the ultimate prize: South African Manager ...

Gauteng High Court rules against body corporate in homeowner's R1.4 million levy dispute

Nicola Mawson|Published

A Gauteng sectional title owner faced a body corporate’s multimillion‑rand levy claim. The High Court’s ruling has sparks questions about how far these organisations ...

A look at how South Africans’ debt habits have quietly changed over the past decade

Nicola Mawson|Published

The latest DebtBusters Debt Index highlights a notable shift in consumer behaviour regarding borrowing.

Why a weaker rand is suddenly putting a SARB rate cut at risk

Nicola Mawson|Published

Kristof Kruger, senior fixed income trader at Prescient Securities, said exchange rate movements play a critical role in inflation dynamics and monetary policy decisions. ...

Big salaries, bigger debt: Where some earners spend 85c of every R1 they take home

Nicola Mawson|Published

Are high-income earners in South Africa facing unprecedented debt stress? Discover how 85% of their income is being allocated to repayments and what this means for ...

Generational home affordability: why the 20-year-old today is locked out

Nicola Mawson|Published

While young adults today may earn more in absolute or purchasing-power terms than Boomers did, the minimum income required to buy a first home has increased sharply, ...

Watch VideoInterest rates unchanged despite inflation outlook improving

Nicola Mawson|Published

The South African Reserve Bank has held its policy rate at 6.75%, with two members favouring a cut and four preferring a hold.

Watch VideoWATCH: Interest rate remains unchanged

Nicola Mawson|Published

Will borrowing get cheaper? With the SARB set to announce its latest decision, economists and property leaders hint at a possible 0.25% rate cut - a move that could ...

What South Africans did with their money in 2025

Nicola Mawson|Published

Year-end pressures shaped household spending, credit use, and savings habits, showing how South Africans navigated their finances in 2025.

Widow tackles pension fund over delay in R6,000 death benefit

Nicola Mawson|Published

Adjudicator criticises pension fund’s silence, ordering urgent investigation and payment to beneficiaries.

Debt cases drop, but the average bill still bites at R29,000

Nicola Mawson|Published

Fewer South Africans faced court for unpaid debt in November 2025, according to Statistics South Africa. However, the average civil judgement remains a significant ...

Removing medical aid tax credits could backfire on NHI funding plans

Nicola Mawson|Published

With legal challenges to the controversial National Health Insurance (NHI) Act wending their way through various courts, there continues to not only be a lack of ...

Housing estate ombud got it wrong, Supreme Court rules

Nicola Mawson|Published

The Supreme Court of Appeal found a CSOS adjudicator misread membership rules of housing estates, which distorted levy calculations.