Nomzamo Khosa · Elevate Finance Partners · 5 November 2026 · 8 minute read

An honest look at the tension between enjoying what you’ve worked for and protecting yourself from what you can’t see, with three tests to run before you sign.

October was the strongest month for new vehicle sales this year: 61,890 vehicles, according to naamsa. Year-end is also when many of us feel we’ve earned something. This post doesn’t tell you to buy a car or to wait. It lays out the tension honestly and gives you questions to test before the pen comes out.

A Personal Note

There are two sentences I hear at this time of year, sometimes from the same person within a minute of each other. I’ve worked hard all year, and I want to enjoy it. And then: But what if something happens in January?

I hold both of those thoughts at once, and so does Scripture. Hard work is meant to be enjoyed, and the future isn’t ours to see. After years on both sides of the finance desk, I’d rather you walk into a showroom informed than blind, and walk out with a decision you made rather than one that was made around you.

“…take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.” Ecclesiastes 3:13 (ESV)

“Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling…” Proverbs 21:20 (ESV)

Enjoyment and provision aren’t rivals. Unplanned spending is the thing that makes them rivals.

What the Numbers Say About Right Now

Before the question of whether to buy, here’s what the market itself is showing:

October was the high of the year so far. naamsa recorded 61,890 new vehicle sales, up 10.4% on October last year. Year to date, 554,081 vehicles have been sold, 12.3% more than the same period in 2025.
Not all of that is households. Rental companies took 16.5% of October’s sales, and 21.4% of passenger car sales, as they stock up ahead of the year-end travel period.
It happened despite higher costs. October was the first full month after September’s interest rate increase, which took the repo rate to 7.25% and prime to 10.75%, and fuel prices have risen too. New energy vehicle sales, meaning hybrids and electric vehicles, have grown sharply: 22,389 in the first nine months of 2026, against 16,703 in all of 2025.
The festive season isn’t always a sales peak. Last year, naamsa’s monthly figures show October at 55,960, November at 54,900 and December at 48,980. Volumes eased into year-end rather than rising.

That last point is worth sitting with. The season feels like peak car-buying because bonuses arrive, holidays loom and promotional pricing is everywhere. The figures suggest the pressure is often as much about the calendar as the market. That’s worth knowing before the calendar starts making the decision for you.

The Real Question: Enjoy It or Protect It?

Spending isn’t the opposite of stewardship. Unplanned spending is. A car can be a perfectly sound use of money you’ve worked for. The question is whether the decision gets tested before it’s made.

Here are five tests to use. None is a rule; each is a way of finding out what your own numbers say.

1. The bad-month test

Take the total monthly cost, not just the instalment. In an example from earlier this year, a R6,500 instalment came to about R10,550 a month once insurance, fuel, a tracker fee and maintenance were added. Then ask whether that total survives a month where income dips.

2. The buffer test

After the deposit (if you’re putting one down) and the first-month costs, what’s left in your emergency buffer? Three to six months of essential costs is a commonly cited reference point, and your own situation may call for more or less. If the purchase takes the buffer to zero, that’s useful information.

3. The date test

Would this be the same decision, at the same price, in February? If the answer changes because of a deadline, a countdown timer or a feeling of “now or never,” the calendar is doing part of the deciding.

4. The Balloon Test

A lower instalment can be helpful, but what’s the plan for the lump sum at the end? A balloon payment isn’t a trap, and it isn’t automatically the smart choice either. It’s a tool, and tools work better with a plan.

5. The January Test

Before saying yes to the vehicle, write down every major January commitment you already know is coming. School fees, uniforms, stationery, annual insurance increases, medical aid adjustments and holiday spending repayments all compete for the same income.

A vehicle that feels affordable in December can feel very different once January arrives. If the numbers still work after those commitments are included, you’re making the decision with your eyes open.

And if you’re offered a 60- or 90-day payment break, remember that it usually delays your first instalment, not the interest. The vehicle starts costing money from day one, and interest continues accumulating while you’re enjoying the payment holiday. A payment break can help cash flow, but it doesn’t make a vehicle more affordable.

Naming What It Is: Need, Want, or Wish

A car can be any of three things, and naming which one changes the decision.

A need: it’s how you get to work, or how your business runs.
A want: something you’d like, and can plan towards.
A wish: something you’re dreaming of and holding loosely.

A need can often justify a stretch that a wish can’t. A want can wait for a plan. A wish can be brought in prayer and held with open hands. Most vehicle regrets happen when a wish is financed like a need. Naming the category honestly doesn’t make the dream smaller. It simply helps you choose the right timing, the right budget and the right expectations. The same vehicle can sit in different columns for different people, which is exactly why a standard answer doesn’t exist.

“…God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” 1 Timothy 6:17 (ESV)

The same verse warns against setting our hope on the uncertainty of riches. Both halves belong together: receive with joy, and don’t mistake what you’ve bought for what you’re depending on.

Before January Arrives

January has a habit of arriving all at once. School fees, uniforms, stationery, insurance increases and medical scheme adjustments can turn a comfortable December budget into a stretched January one. A vehicle purchased today doesn’t replace those costs. It joins them. Taking five minutes to map those expenses in November often changes what “affordable” means and helps you make the decision with both months in view.

If the vehicle is financed, remember too that variable-rate agreements move with the prime rate, which stands at 10.75% after the September increase.

Let’s Get You Ready Before You Buy A Car

My approach is simple: be ready before you shop, not after. Know what you can carry, know what to ask, and know what each structure means for your budget, so you’re prepared for whatever comes back: an approval, several approvals, or a decline.

A Vehicle Finance Guidance Session (R750) is built for exactly this. It’s independent, with no bank or dealership affiliation. Together we’ll look at your real numbers, the questions worth asking before you apply, and what each structure would mean for your monthly budget, so you walk into a dealership informed, prepared, and confident, whatever the outcome. To book, WhatsApp 073 509 8750.

Test the Numbers Yourself

Before you speak to anyone, you can run your own numbers. The vehicle finance calculator inside Elevate My Finance models a deal, including balloon scenarios and the total cost of credit. The Budget Planner shows what’s left after the commitments you already have, and the Debt Freedom calculator shows what existing debt is costing. It doesn’t push a dealer, a bank or a product. It simply helps you stress-test your numbers before you commit to anything. Sometimes the best financial decision is moving forward with confidence. Sometimes it’s waiting six months. Either way, the decision is better when it’s yours.

I’ve opened 30 free lifetime spots for early users, and there are still spots open. Start your 360° Financial Check-Up and claim yours here: checkup.elevatefinancepartners.online

A Closing Word

You’ve worked hard this year, and that matters. Next year’s uncertainty is real too, and that matters. The goal isn’t to choose between enjoying what you’ve earned and preparing for what’s ahead. It’s to hold both together. Put the numbers on the table, test the decision honestly, and give January a seat at the table before December decides for you. A decision that honours both is one you’ve tested, with your numbers on the table and your eyes open.

Reduce what you owe. Grow what you own.

Blessings & Abundance,

Nomzamo

Elevate Finance Partners

NCA for F&Is · RE5 · COB 1/2/3 · National Certificate: Banking Services Advice

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Nomzamo Khosa is a financial educator, not a financial advisor. The content shared on Elevate Finance Partners is intended for general educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, tax, or investment advice. Sales figures are from naamsa’s October 2026 release and its 2025 monthly figures; interest rates reflect the South African Reserve Bank‘s September 2026 decision. The total-cost example is illustrative and will differ from your own quotes. For personalised guidance, WhatsApp 073 509 8750.

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