Financial expert shares UCT research revealing South Africans income class by household earnings

• A financial expert, Julian Cruz, broke down South Africa's income classes using UCT research on household earnings
• The breakdown ranges from households earning under R3,500 a month to those bringing in over R75,000 combined
• Many South Africans were surprised by where their combined household income placed them on the scale

A finance TikToker sparked a lively debate after sharing a breakdown of South Africa's income classes based on research from the University of Cape Town. Julian Cruz, who posts under @julsfin.za, uploaded the video on 12 October 2026, and it quickly drew hundreds of responses from South Africans questioning where they really stand financially.

What the UCT income brackets say

The research divides South African households into five income categories. At the bottom, households earning less than R3,500 a month fall into the poor class. Those bringing in between R3,500 and R8,000 are classified as working poor, while households earning between R8,000 and R22,000 sit in the working class bracket.

Cruz made a point of clarifying that the figures refer to combined household income, not individual salaries. That means the total earnings of everyone living under one roof count towards the classification.

The middle class bracket covers households earning between R22,000 and R75,000 per month. Households earning above R75,000 are classified as upper class.

View the TikTok video below:

South Africans push back on the numbers

The video struck a nerve. Many viewers on the page felt the income thresholds did not reflect the real cost of living in South Africa today.

@Rebuilding Success wrote:

"These numbers are outdated. Household income around R150k still lives a middle class lifestyle. The upper-class lifestyle requires significantly more."

@Realist said:

"Then why don't I feel upper class 😂"

@🥰🥰🥰 asked:

"How are you middle class with combined income of 22k. 😂"

@Portia shared:

"I'm middle class, I need a partner to move to upper middle class"

@lebongoepe5 said:

"Aaah Papa Haai I disagree 😂😂😂 why do I feel like we are lowest. Based on realities 😂"

@Ramadimetja (Rama/ Tilly) asked:

"Are these nett or gross? I'm assuming nett"

@Talita☀️ observed:

"What stands out to me is how big the middle class band is."

The wide range of the middle class bracket, spanning R53,000 worth of monthly household income, was a common talking point. Several commenters pointed out that a household earning R22,000 combined and one earning R74,000 combined would experience very different standards of living, yet both fall under the same classification.

More Briefly News stories on households

• South Africans are cutting back on takeaways, restaurants, entertainment and other household expenses as rising living costs put increasing pressure on their budgets
• Stats SA's latest data showed that multi-racial households have grown from 1.3% in 2001 to 11.4% in 2022, and South Africans are sharing their thoughts.
• Port Shepstone’s Joelene Haasbroek charmed South Africans with her putu pap cooking video, mixing humour and isiZulu phrases in a heartfelt cultural moment.

Source: Briefly News

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