Many people who enter the market for their first car can be overwhelmed by the countless financing options available. While almost every car buyer can apply for a vehicle loan, not everyone has the same credit history. In light of the ongoing economic troubles across the country, car buyers are finding it more difficult to secure funding for a brand-new car. Blacklisted or under-debt-review consumers are especially drawing the short straw when it comes to loan approval.

Home to the Namib, the oldest desert in the world, Namibia is a vast Southern African country that offers an abundance of outdoor adventures and tranquil escapes. As the 34th largest country in the world, Namibia also has one of the lowest populations in the world, at only 2.59 million as of 2017, emphasising its great distance between towns. With Namibia’s currency worth the same as South Africa’s, South Africans will find it a budget-friendly destination.

The East African country of Kenya is well-known for its vast wildlife, acacia trees located on enormous plains, and epic safaris encompassing the annual wildebeest migration. The country offers unrivaled views of the big five, Mount Kenya, neighbouring Tanzania’s famous Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Great Rift Valley and a sneak peak into the lives of the nomadic Maasai tribe in southern Kenya.

The top ranking universities in South Africa were revealed in a new university ranking focusing on academic quality which was recently released. The University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP) highlights the performance of 16 South African universities among 2 500 higher education institutes (HEI) across the world.

Research shows that business travel is becoming increasingly popular as the younger generation moves up to higher positions in the corporate world. It was found that millennials are more willing to travel for business than previous generations, with many doing so for the first time.

A retirement annuity (RA) is a type of investment product where individuals contribute monthly cash payments to ensure a regular income after retirement. Unlike a Life Insurance policy, which provides financial stability for a family after the insured breadwinner dies, the savings from a retirement plan benefits the member of the annuity when they withdraw from an active working life one day.

If you have ever volunteered your time before, you might have noticed a mood lift, or bursts of satisfaction, happiness and elation. Volunteering is an unselfish act of giving of your free time and resources to those who need your help, and in due course you may experience the results of all your efforts, and even build a community of friends with whom you enjoy a shared interest and passion.

The second destination in our most affordable countries for South Africans to travel to series, is Bali. An island and province of Indonesia, Bali is renowned for its impressive arts sector, cultural diversity, coral reefs, tropical beaches, and active volcanoes.

A tighter budget shouldn’t hamper South Africans’ desire to travel. We can still leave the African plains to follow those moments of wanderlust and experience the wonders of the world. The truth is, there are a number of countries that offer South Africans memorable and well-deserved holiday options without costing an arm and a leg. The first on our list of affordable countries for South Africans to travel to, is Dubai.

When you're in the market to purchase a vehicle, you can expect that there will be consumer protection plans attached to cover the vehicle against certain risks. The two most common plans are Car Insurance and a Motor Warranty.

The South African Savings Institute (SASI) launched National Savings Month in Sandton in July 2017 as a reminder that we should all put some money away for a rainy day. Saving, however, means different things to different people. Some prefer to put their money in a savings account, others take out a Life Insurance policy, make off-shore investments, buy real estate or keep their money in stokvels.

With last year’s crime stats showing that break-ins at residential properties is the third most common crime in the country (at over a quarter of a million cases in 2016 according to a Business Tech report) do you know how likely it is that your home will be broken into? The architecture of your house can trigger burglary, and you probably aren’t even aware of it.

Tax return season for individuals officially opened on 1 July 2017. If you are a South African citizen, you may need to submit an income tax return to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) over the next couple of months (deadlines to be announced). The purpose of filing an income tax return is for SARS to determine how much money you owe the government or if you're due for a tax rebate.

The July holiday period will soon be upon us, and if you’re thinking of taking your friends or loved ones on a winter trip, now is the time to get it booked, if you haven’t done so already. There are plenty of destinations spread across South Africa to take your well-deserved break in, that offer activities to suit every want or need. If you’re dreaming of snuggling up next to a fireplace with a glass of red wine, looking forward to getting your fill of nature on a mountain hike, or keen to spot and photograph the wonderful varieties of flora and fauna the country has to offer, there is a destination for you.

Tax season is here, and maybe you’re one of the many people who don’t know where to start with their tax return. If you can’t rely on your employer or a tax practitioner to help you with your tax returns, there are some useful online tools that can assist you with your tax filing, so that you’re not left scratching your head.

Winter is the time most of us prefer to just cuddle up under blankets and switch to hibernation mode. But, for entertainment junkies, being trapped indoors on those drizzly days provides plenty of opportunities to catch up on new movies, books, series, and video games.

May 2017 saw a fuel price hike of 49 cents per litre for 93 and 95 petrol, and a 30 cents per litre hike for diesel after a weakened Rand following President Jacob Zuma’s cabinet reshuffle. While analysts predict a possible decrease in fuel prices in June, the average South African motorist has to foot the bill until then.

What would your loved ones do if you’re no longer there to provide for them financially? If your family relies on your income to make ends meet or if your income helps your family maintain their standard of living, you might want to invest in Life Insurance.

BusinessTech reports that Nissan is collaborating with the uYilo e-Mobility programme to put on trial a system that enables electricity reserves in the LEAF's battery to be distributed to homes where it can be used for cooking and lighting. The experiment was implemented to help uYilo – a manufacturer of electric mobility technology – develop their charging technology in South Africa.

As government is busy making great effort to restore South Africa's investment grade rating, consumers must now deal with the consequences of Standard & Poor's junk rating. The economic outlook is even more uncertain as we await the announcement from Moody, which has placed South Africa under review for a downgrade and will only reveal its rating of South Africa's credit status around the July 3 deadline.

While 2017 vehicle sales in general might be at an all-time low, it appears to be the year that luxury SUVs gain consumer interest, as Land Rover, Volvo, and Bentley put energy into even more technological features in their latest SUV models

Car accidents are an everyday occurrence on South African highways. Our country has the 42nd highest road mortality rate in the world. If your car was involved in an accident what would you do? Below is a step-by-step guide on how to deal with a car accident.

New vehicle sales in South Africa have increased by 3.7% from January 2016 to January 2017, a welcome improvement from the previous year of sales that saw an 11.4% drop from 2015 to 2016. With an increase in sales, and a seemingly spiked interest in new vehicles from the South African consumer, Hippo.co.za decided to take a look at the top 10 most searched for car brands in South Africa, according to the Google’s keyword planner search results.

This article presents several road scenarios that show the importance of mastering the art of defensive driving. Spotting and avoiding road hazards in time will not only ensure a safe driving environment for yourself and other road users but will also keep your driving record spotless (hint: Car Insurance companies take your driving record in consideration when calculating your premium and many will ask if you’ve had additional training).

Buying a car is usually one of the bigger financial ventures you'll take on in your lifetime. Whether you're in the market for a newly arrived model or intend to approach a used-car dealer, a key step in the car-buying process is figuring out how you're going to pay for it. With the year-on-year increase in car prices, many prospective buyers find that Vehicle Financing is the only way they'll be able to afford their dream car.

The current drought has forced the city of Cape Town to enforce increasingly severe limitations on water usage. The Cape Town city council said it is now up to every resident to use water wisely, and urged Capetonians to bring down their water consumption even further than the 800 million litres daily target to 700 million litres, or the city may be in an even more critical water crisis.

Motorcycle enthusiasts know that their lifestyle is more than wearing leathers, or going on unplanned adventures with fellow bikers. Sure, nothing beats the feeling of the wind in your face, the scenery, the smells and that sense of freedom, but imagine this sensory feast amplified by a rally or run where you can not only show off your bike but also your riding skills.

Often with a new year comes fresh starts and new resolutions, and if you’re feeling unhappy at work, the beginning of the year might be the best time to make a job, or even a career, change happen. Whether you’ve just finished matric, need a fresh routine or are unhappy with your current salary and have been relying on a Personal Loan to make ends meet, the job hunting process can be rather daunting if you don’t know where to start. With the help of a career expert, we lay out a few top tips to help you through the process, and increase your chances of getting a new job this year.

In South Africa, by last reports, approximately 11.9 million children (64% of all South African children) live in poverty. The closest possible consensus tells us that some 1.7 million children (9% of all South African children) still live in informal housing such as shacks in backyards or squatter settlements. Due to the number of independent adoption institutions in South Africa, and how loosely regulated they are, no one knows for certain how many adoptions of non-blood related children there are or have been in the country.

Conventional wisdom tells us that men take more driving risks on the road, which is one of the reasons they may face higher premiums for their Car Insurance. But, a new study concludes that women may actually be more likely to throw traffic tantrums.

Many people follow a healthy diet because we’ve been told that we should stay away from lots of carbohydrates, fats, and sugar if we don’t want to pile on the kilograms. But, how many of us know that it is not just comfort eating that can make us gain weight?

There are many reasons why partners choose to move in together rather than getting married right away, ranging from getting to know one another better, to sharing expenses. But, living in cohabitation or being an unmarried couple sometimes results in disputes over assets upon death or separation.

In September 2016, the Automobile Association (AA) published its first annual ‘Entry Level Vehicle Safety Report’, to identify and compare the safety features in 23 motor vehicles available on the South African market for under R150 000. Poor economic growth, coupled with the increasing price of new motor vehicles has put pressure on young South African drivers, who are looking for an affordable yet safe vehicle. Worryingly, those looking for a vehicle seem to be more preoccupied with the affordability of a vehicle and not its safety features.

There seems to be an app for everything these days, from fitness tracking, photography and deal finders, to translation and even travel. So if you plan to travel around the country in the near future you might be wondering which of the thousands of travel apps might be worth getting hold of to help you have the best experience. You want to see all the big sites, find the best accommodation and do it all within your budget. Luckily, exploring and dining in a new city has never been easier with the help of some locally built apps that we’ve listed.

A recent study performed by Pharma Dynamics, has revealed interesting results on what the most stressful jobs in South Africa are, and surprisingly, the common corporate-related jobs aren’t at the top of the list. Stress can be measured in different ways, and different jobs can surface different types of stress-related symptoms, but according to the 2 000 respondents who come from over 40 different professional backgrounds, which professionals are the most stressed out?

Most of us are generally aware of the strategically placed luxury items which regularly feature close to the checkout counter of a grocery store. These items will usually include what retail outlets sometimes refer to as “impulse buys” being chocolate, sweets and snacks. What many of us do not put much thought into is how much the remainder of the store’s layout can influence our shopping behaviour.