What is Stacko?
Stacko is a personal finance planning tool built specifically for South Africans. You enter your assets, liabilities, income, and expenses once, and Stacko shows you your real net worth, your monthly surplus or deficit, and a 30-year projection of where you're headed — all modelled for South African tax rates, prime-linked interest rates, and TFSA/RA rules.
Is Stacko free to use?
Yes — Stacko is free during the current beta. We may introduce a paid tier in the future, but if you sign up during the beta your access will never be removed without notice.
Is Stacko a financial advisor?
No. Stacko is a financial planning tool, not a financial advisor. The projections and simulations are based on the information you enter and general assumptions (inflation, market returns, interest rates). They are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial advice as defined under the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act (FAIS). Always consult a registered financial adviser before making significant financial decisions.
How accurate are the projections?
The projections are as accurate as the assumptions behind them — and the future is uncertain. Stacko uses reasonable defaults (CPI inflation, prime rate, JSE historical returns) and lets you adjust them. Treat the numbers as a directional guide, not a guarantee. The confidence band on the net worth chart reflects this uncertainty explicitly.
Is my financial data safe?
Yes. Your data is encrypted in transit (TLS) and stored on Neon's PostgreSQL infrastructure. Your email address is stored as a one-way HMAC-SHA256 hash — we cannot read it. Passwords are hashed with bcrypt. We do not sell, rent, or share your data with third parties for any purpose. See our Privacy Policy for the full picture.
What is POPIA and how does it affect me?
The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) is South Africa's data privacy law. It gives you the right to know what data we hold about you, to correct it, and to have it permanently deleted. You can exercise all of these rights from your account settings or by emailing hello@stacko.money.
How do I delete my account and data?
Go to Account settings and use the “Delete my account” option. Your data will be permanently and irreversibly purged within 30 days, in line with our POPIA obligations. This cannot be undone.
What is net worth?
Net worth is simply what you own minus what you owe: Assets − Liabilities = Net worth. Assets include things like your home, car, savings, investments, and retirement funds. Liabilities include your bond, car finance, personal loans, and credit card debt. A positive net worth means you own more than you owe. A negative net worth is common early in life — it just means you have work to do.
What's the difference between a pension fund, provident fund, and RA?
They're all ways of saving for retirement with tax benefits, but they work differently:
- Pension fund — set up by your employer. You and your employer both contribute, and the money comes off your payslip before tax.
- Provident fund — also employer-run, very similar to a pension fund (the rules were aligned in 2021).
- Retirement annuity (RA)— you set this up yourself with a company like Allan Gray, Sanlam, or 10X. Anyone can have one — useful if you're self-employed, or want extra retirement savings on top of work.
All three grow tax-free inside the fund. You can take a third in cash at retirement (age 55+), and the rest pays you a monthly income. Want the full detail — tax tables, two-pot system, withdrawal rules? See “Deep dive: how SA retirement funds are taxed” at the bottom.
Deep dive: how SA retirement funds are taxed (pension, provident, RA)
South Africa has three main retirement vehicles: Pension Funds, Provident Funds, and Retirement Annuity Funds (RAs). Here's how each works, the key differences, and how they're taxed. All figures are current for the 2025/26 tax year.
1. Structure & who can contribute
Pension Fund
- Employer-sponsored, governed by the Pension Funds Act
- Employer and/or employee contribute a fixed % of salary
- Managed by a board of trustees
- Available to employees only — not the self-employed
Provident Fund
- Also employer-sponsored, works similarly to a pension fund
- Historically allowed full cash withdrawal at retirement
- Legislative reforms from 1 March 2021 have largely aligned it with pension funds (see below)
- Available to employees only
Retirement Annuity (RA)
- Individually owned — not linked to an employer
- Set up directly with an insurer or asset manager
- You control contribution amount, frequency, and investment selection
- Available to anyone, including the self-employed
- Fully portable
| Pension Fund | Provident Fund | Retirement Annuity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salaried employees | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Self-employed | No | No | Yes |
| Employer contributions | Common | Common | No |
| Portability | Employer-linked | Employer-linked | Fully portable |
2. Tax treatment on contributions
- Contributions are tax-deductible up to 27.5% of the greater of remuneration or taxable income
- Annual cap: R430,000 per tax year (effective 1 March 2026), calculated across all retirement funds combined
- Employer contributions count as a fringe benefit in the employee's hands but still fall within the 27.5% / R430,000 deductible limit
- Excess contributions carry forward and may increase the tax-free amount at retirement
- Investment growth inside all three fund types is sheltered from income tax, dividends tax, and CGT
3. The Two-Component Retirement System (effective 1 September 2024)
New contributions post 31 August 2024 are split across three components:
Vested Pot
- All benefits accumulated before 1 September 2024 — remains under legacy rules
- Seed capital of the lower of 10% of vested balance or R30,000 was transferred to the Savings Pot at inception
Savings Pot (1/3 of new contributions)
- One withdrawal permitted per tax year, minimum R2,000
- Withdrawals taxed at your marginal income tax rate
- First R27,500 of pre-retirement withdrawals is tax-free (lifetime, under the withdrawal lump sum table)
Retirement Pot (2/3 of new contributions)
- Preserved until retirement — no early access
- Used to purchase an annuity at retirement (unless the de minimis rule applies)
4. Access before retirement
Pension & Provident Funds (resignation / retrenchment)
- May withdraw in cash (taxed), transfer to a new employer fund, or transfer to a preservation fund
- Vested component follows legacy rules; Retirement Pot cannot be accessed early
Retirement Annuity
- Access before age 55 is highly restricted
- Exceptions: permanent disability, de minimis balance, or cessation of SA tax residency under specific conditions
5. Tax treatment at retirement
Minimum retirement age: 55 (all three fund types)
Lump sum rules
- Pension Fund: up to 1/3 as a cash lump sum; remaining 2/3 must purchase an annuity
- Provident Fund: members under 55 on 1 March 2021 follow the same 2/3 annuitisation rule; members 55 or older on that date are grandfathered and may take the full benefit as cash
- Retirement Annuity: same as pension fund — up to 1/3 as lump sum, 2/3 annuitised
De minimis rule: if total benefit in a particular fund is R247,500 or less, the full amount may be taken as cash.
Pre-retirement withdrawal tax table (Savings Component / early exit)
| Taxable withdrawal | Rate |
|---|---|
| R0 – R27,500 | 0% (tax-free — lifetime allowance) |
| R27,501 – R726,000 | 18% |
| R726,001 – R1,089,000 | 27% + R125,730 |
| R1,089,001+ | 36% + R223,740 |
This table applies to pre-retirement withdrawals (e.g. Savings Component withdrawals, resignation cashouts). The R27,500 tax-free amount is a lifetime cumulative allowance — it is shared with the retirement lump sum table below and erodes with each withdrawal.
Retirement lump sum tax table (2026/27)
| Taxable lump sum | Rate |
|---|---|
| R0 – R550,000 | 0% (tax-free) |
| R550,001 – R770,000 | 18% |
| R770,001 – R1,155,000 | 27% + R39,600 |
| R1,155,001+ | 36% + R143,550 |
- This is a lifetime allowance — all retirement lump sums received since 1 October 2007 are aggregated
- Lump sums taken at resignation erode the R550,000 lifetime tax-free allowance available at retirement
- SARS issues a tax directive for each lump sum; the calculation is cumulative
Annuity income tax
Monthly income drawn from a living or life annuity is taxed as ordinary income at your marginal rate. Normal personal income tax brackets apply, with age-related rebates (higher thresholds from age 65 and again from age 75).
6. Full comparison
| Feature | Pension Fund | Provident Fund | Retirement Annuity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who can join | Employees only | Employees only | Anyone |
| Employer contributions | Common | Common | Not applicable |
| Portability | Employer-linked | Employer-linked | Fully portable |
| Contribution deductibility | 27.5% / R430k cap | 27.5% / R430k cap | 27.5% / R430k cap |
| Growth taxed inside fund | No | No | No |
| Minimum retirement age | 55 | 55 | 55 |
| Lump sum at retirement | Up to 1/3 | Up to 1/3 (post-2021 members) | Up to 1/3 |
| Full cash option | No (unless de minimis) | Grandfathered members only | No (unless de minimis) |
| Annuity requirement | 2/3 | 2/3 (post-2021 members) | 2/3 |
| Lump sum tax at retirement | Special retirement table | Special retirement table | Special retirement table |
| Annuity income tax | Marginal rate | Marginal rate | Marginal rate |
| Savings Pot access | Once/year at marginal rate | Once/year at marginal rate | Once/year at marginal rate |
7. Key points to watch
- RA funds fall outside your deceased estateand are not subject to estate duty — benefits are distributed at trustees' discretion under section 37C of the Pension Funds Act
- The cumulative lump sum tax principle is frequently underestimated — prior cashouts at resignation permanently erode the R550,000 lifetime tax-free allowance
- The two-pot system reduces the temptation to cash out at resignation but introduces new administrative complexity for employer-sponsored funds
- From 1 March 2026, lump sums from foreign retirement funds received by SA tax residents are now taxable in South Africa (the exemption under s10(1)(gC)(ii) was removed by the 2025 TLAB) — DTA relief and foreign tax credits may apply
Source: SARS, National Treasury, Forvis Mazars Annual Tax Guide 2026/27, current as at 2026/27 tax year. Not financial or tax advice — confirm specifics with a registered tax practitioner.
What is a TFSA and should I have one?
A Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) lets you invest up to R46,000 per year (R500,000 lifetime) with no tax on growth, dividends, or withdrawals. It's one of the most powerful savings vehicles available to South Africans. Whether you should prioritise it over other goals (like paying off debt) depends on your interest rates and situation — Stacko's scenario tool can help you model this. For advice specific to your circumstances, speak to a registered financial adviser.
What is an ETF?
An ETF (Exchange-Traded Fund) is a basket of securities — shares, bonds, or other assets — that trades on a stock exchange like a single share. For example, a JSE Top 40 ETF holds shares in the 40 largest JSE-listed companies. Buying one ETF unit gives you proportional exposure to all 40 at once.
- Diversified — one purchase spreads risk across many assets
- Low cost — typical annual fees of 0.1–0.5%, vs 1–3% for actively managed unit trusts
- Liquid — bought and sold on the JSE during market hours
- Passive — most ETFs track an index rather than trying to beat it
ETFs are one of the most cost-efficient ways for South Africans to invest in the stock market. They can be held inside a TFSA (tax-free) or a standard brokerage account. Stacko's Property vs Shares calculator lets you compare buying an investment property against putting the same capital into the market.
What are the three setup sections?
Setting up Stacko has three sections — you can finish each in a few minutes:
- Money & debts — what you own and what you owe. This is enough to see your net worth.
- Income & spending — what comes in each month and what goes out. This unlocks your monthly surplus and debt payoff plan.
- Goals — when you want to retire, whether you plan to buy a home, your comfort with risk. This unlocks the long-term projections.
You can do them in order, or come back later. Each section unlocks more of the dashboard.
What is the debt payoff engine?
The debt payoff engine uses the avalanche method— it applies any extra monthly payment you can afford to your highest-interest debt first, which minimises the total interest you pay over time. You can adjust the extra payment slider on the Debt page to see exactly how many months earlier you'll be debt-free and how much interest you'll save.
What does 'beta' mean?
Beta means Stacko is live and fully functional, but still being actively developed. You may encounter occasional bugs or incomplete features. We take your data seriously regardless — beta refers to feature completeness, not security or stability. If you spot something wrong, please email hello@stacko.money.
Can I use Stacko with my partner or spouse?
Yes. Stacko has a Couples mode that lets you and your partner link accounts and view a combined net worth, shared income, and joint projections. You'll find the option on the Couples page in the dashboard.
I have a question that isn't answered here.
Email us at hello@stacko.money and we'll get back to you.
Stacko is in beta. hello@stacko.money