More Women Lead in Asset Ownership

More South African women are financing their new homes, and more are doing it on their own.

Standard Bank’s Home Loans data shows that women have consistently made up 70% of all home loan clients in the past ten years, whether as joint or sole applicants. But in a noteworthy shift, nearly 40% of all main applicants for home loans today are women – up from 37.9% in 2015.

Even more compelling is the independence with which women are now entering the property market. In the past two years, 66% of female main applicants bought homes without a co-applicant, signalling a shift in the housing market.

“Women have always featured strongly in our home loans book, but the past two years clearly show growing confidence and empowerment to take the lead in achieving their home ownership goals,” said Toni Anderson, Head of Home Services at Standard Bank.

The average price of the properties purchased by female main applicants has increased by 48.2% from R800 000 in 2015 to R1.3 million in 2025. This is supported by the 74.3% growth seen in the average gross income for female main applicants over the last 10 years, whose average income grew from R38 000 in 2015 to R67 000 in 2025.

While women of all ages are entering the market, 74% of female main applicants are under the age of 45, pointing to younger women increasingly investing in long-term assets.

More women own cars than a decade ago

Female asset ownership is rising beyond property. In Standard Bank’s Vehicle and Asset Finance (VAF) division, women’s share of the client base grew from 38.5% in June 2015 to 43.9% in June 2025. Those aged 31 to 45 accounted for nearly half of female sales in June 2025. Notably, while still a small group, young female buyers increased sharply, from just 0.002% in 2015 to 0.59% in 2025.

However, women continue to spend less on cars than men. A decade ago, the average car purchase price among women was 18% lower than that of men. In 2025, their average spend of R334,914 remains 6.5% lower than the R356,972 average spent by men.

In Standard Bank’s case, this growing trend of women financing assets is also driven by the bank’s initiatives to support and encourage asset ownership in the country, from financing upfront costs for first-time homebuyers to allowing its clients to add and even re-spread their balloon payments if they need to. “It’s clear that more women are actively participating in the economy and making long-term financial decisions. And Standard Bank is here to support them by financing their dreams,” says Anderson.

There’s a shift in insurance, too

This leadership extends beyond ownership. Short-term insurance data also shows a shift, with women increasingly leading in risk management.

Drawing on extensive data from the past five years, Standard Insurance Limited claims data reveal that women now file 51.1% of claims in this age group. Women also dominate claims submissions among those who are divorced, accounting for 64.4% of claims, while men represent just 35.6%.

This trend is especially pronounced among women aged 34 to 44, and those who are unmarried or divorced, challenging long-held stereotypes about financial decision-making in households.

Dr Hardy Ncube, Head of Personal Products at Standard Insurance Limited, describes this shift as a powerful reflection of changing consumer behaviour and dispels the long-held stereotype that men are the primary protectors and financial decision-makers in a household. “Our data challenges the traditional narrative, showing that women are not only actively engaged but may even surpass men in certain policyholder demographics,” says Dr Ncube.