Understanding financial wellness for women

WE TALK a lot about wellness—physical wellness, mental wellness, even spiritual wellness.

- NICOLA LANDRIDGE

We invest in healthy eating, exercise, mindfulness, and personal development. But one wellness pillar that often gets overlooked is financial wellness.

Well-being isn’t just about feeling good in your body and mind—it’s also about having confidence, clarity, and control over your financial future. Stress around money, uncertainty about your investments, and fear of making the wrong financial decisions can weigh just as heavily as other life challenges.

Wealth should not be seen as a number in a bank account but as a tool for freedom, empowerment, and legacy. Today, women are increasingly taking ownership of their financial wellness to ensure that their wealth is working for them, not just today, but for generations to come.

Should women look at wealth differently?

There are unique considerations for women when it comes to building their wealth. They face distinct challenges and opportunities during their wealth-creation journeys, which can influence their financial strategies.

In addition to the income gap (in SA research shows women earn as much as 30% less than men for the same job), women tend to live on average 7 years longer than men. That means that when planning for retirement, the average woman needs to put away 25% more towards retirement than their male counterparts. As more women take control of their financial futures, their financial advice and wealth planning need to be nuanced to meet their unique circumstances and incorporate factors such as income disparities, longevity, career interruptions, and risk tolerance.