As the country marks 16 Days of Activism, financial abuse, one of the most overlooked forms of harm continues to undermine the safety, dignity, and financial security of women across South Africa.
Though often overshadowed by conversations about physical and emotional violence, financial abuse is one of the most common forms of control in unhealthy relationships and one of the least understood. Many women experience it long before they recognise it as abuse, and long before other forms of harm escalate.
According to a research study conducted by Nedbank titled Financial Freedom: Addressing Financial Abuse, this issue forms part of a staggering 99% of domestic abuse cases. Despite this, it is a crisis that is seldom recognised or discussed.
Khensani Nobanda, Group Executive of Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Nedbank explains that financial abuse is a lesser-known but deeply destructive form of abuse that traps victims – mostly women – in cycles of control and dependency, often making it nearly impossible to escape abusive relationships.
‘As part of our commitment to using our financial expertise to do good, Nedbank is working to help bring this issue to light, educate people on its signs, and empower women with the resources they need to break free or avoid becoming victims’ Nobanda says.
Understanding financial abuse and how it shows up in everyday life.
Financial abuse happens when one person uses money to control, restrict, or manipulate another. It can be subtle at first, often appearing in ways that feel like care, concern, or responsibility but over time it can strip women of their independence and their ability to make choices for themselves. Common forms of financial abuse include being denied access to your own bank account, your income being monitored or being pressured to take out loans despite personal necessity and in some instances, it goes as far as being restricted or guilt-tripped for wanting to earn a living.
These actions do not leave surface scars but go a level deeper, eroding confidence, creating dependency, and trapping women in relationships where leaving becomes financially impossible.
The money warnings, early signs something is not right.
Financial abuse rarely starts loudly. It begins with small, consistent red flags. Some of these money warnings include a sudden interest in how you spend every cent and demand for proof of transactions or receipts or the insistence that financial independence is unnecessary in the relationship.
Recognising these signs early is one of the most important steps in preventing further harm, but it all starts with awareness, such as noting that a partner refuses transparency around their own finances but demands full visibility accessibility of yours.
Why financial awareness matters now more than ever.
South Africa still has a long way to go in building public understanding of what financial abuse is and how deeply it affects women’s lives. Many people do not have the language to name it, and without that, they cannot seek help.
Financial institutions, community organisations, workplaces, and families all have a role to play in strengthening awareness and giving women safe, practical tools to protect their financial independence.
Where to go for support and why early intervention matters
For women who spot these warning signs, access to help is crucial. POWA (People Opposing Women Abuse) remains one of the country’s leading organisations offering confidential counselling, legal support, and safe pathways for women navigating financial or any other form of abuse.
Through ongoing collaboration with organisations like POWA, financial education programmes across the country aim to equip women with knowledge and support long before the situation becomes dangerous.
This time last year, Nedbank rolled out their Money Warnings initiative which was designed to confront financial abuse head on by making the invisible seen, through a bold creative tactic placing “warning strips” across their own billboards and advertising. This was done to expose the subtle ways money can be used to control and harm and thanks to the partnership with POWA, the initiative went beyond campaign awareness and education to offering practical support and financial education to those who may be experiencing abuse, but the work is far from done.
Nedbank is reigniting the campaign because South Africa still needs a deeper understanding of Financial Abuse and to create clearer pathways to help victims. ‘We want people to understand that abuse isn’t always physical,’ Nobanda emphasises. ‘By bringing financial abuse into the conversation, we want to be a trusted partner to those looking to regain control of their finances and take their first steps towards independence and safety,’ she concludes.
A call to action
This year’s campaign is a reminder that it starts with recognising the first signs of financial control, having honest conversations about money dynamics in relationships, and ensuring that women have access to information and independent financial tools.
By helping create environments where women understand their rights, recognise the red flags, and know where to seek support, South Africans can help close off the spaces where financial abuse grows unseen.