South Africans getting worse at making a will, survey shows

TWO-thirds of South Africans don't have wills.

- STAFF REPORTER

The 2025 Sanlam Legacy Wills Survey shows will-drafting has fallen to just 34% of the adult population, down from 39% last year.

When it comes to drafting wills, we are slipping backwards a troubling reality in a country where estates can take years to wind up, leaving families with heavy emotional and financial burdens.

What will motivate more people to draft their documents? The results of the survey suggest that big life moments, such as births and deaths, move us to action, alongside reliable advice and affordable access.

Advocate Sankie Morata CFP, chief executive of Sanlam Fiduciary Services, says: “Our latest survey results show that lived experiences the loss of a loved one, becoming a parent, or seeing the consequences of dying intestate (without a will) are what move people to act. But South Africans are also asking for practical enablers: free or low-cost services, step-by-step guidance, and trusted advice. We need to make it as simple and affordable as possible to draft a will to move people from intention to action. Will-drafting is learned behaviour; we just need one generation to break the cycle.”

Key findings

While 70% believe a will is worthwhile even if you have assets valued at less than R50 000, only a third have actually drafted their wills.

Of the 66% who don't have wills, 43% said they don't have enough assets, 30% said they're unemployed and 27% “haven't found the time”.

Dr Mavis Mazhura, behavioural science specialist, says: “This reasoning is rooted in ‘asset salience bias’ the belief that ‘I have nothing to pass on.