Estimate what you could borrow

Works it out the way a bank does: the bond may take about 30% of your income before tax (or what you say you can pay), and no more than is left after tax, living costs and your other debt. You get one answer, what limits it, and what would change it. Your bank does its own affordability assessment and may lend more or less.

Your income
Before tax - both incomes if buying together
Car, cards, store accounts, loans - 0 if none
Food, transport, school, utilities... Leave empty and we use the National Credit Act minimum for your income
Your bond

Banks commonly keep the bond instalment within about 30% of gross income. Change the share below if your bank uses another.

%

%

Of gross income - 30% is common

%

Prime is 10.75% (stored SARB figure, 25 Sept 2026) - add your bank's margin, e.g. 11.75 for prime + 1.
Term20 years
5 years30 years
Your situation

SA banks typically lend non-residents at most 50% of the price, so the deposit is set to 50%. Income earned abroad is converted to rand, and a seller who is a non-resident has part of the price withheld by SARS - see the cost of selling tools.

See the price range you could afford
Fill in your income and debts, then press Check affordability.
  • The most you could pay for a home
  • Your monthly bond instalment
  • The loan and the deposit you'd need
About these figures

Worked out from the figures you enter and the published rates and tables shown; results marked as estimates depend on assumptions. General information, not financial, credit, tax or legal advice - Property HQ is not an authorised financial services provider or a registered credit provider, and banks do their own affordability assessment under the National Credit Act. Confirm the figures for your own case with your bank, conveyancer or a registered tax practitioner.

Where the figures come from

Tax, transfer duty and CGT tables from SARS; prime, repo and CPI from the South African Reserve Bank; minimum living costs from the National Credit Act regulations; exchange rates from the European Central Bank (via Frankfurter).

Frequently asked questions

5 quick answers - tap a question to open it
How do banks decide how much I can borrow?

Under the National Credit Act every bank does its own affordability assessment of your income, expenses, debt and credit record. A common rule of thumb is that the bond repayment should stay within about 30% of your gross monthly income - the calculator uses that, and you can change it or switch it off and fill in what you can pay a month.

Does my other debt count?

Yes. Like a bank, the calculator works out what's left of your income after income tax, the minimum living costs the National Credit Act sets for your income (or your own figure) and your other debt repayments. The bond can't take more than that, or more than the share-of-income guideline - whichever is lower sets your answer, and the result says which one it was and what would change it.

Can we buy together on two incomes?

Yes. Add both gross incomes and both sets of debt repayments; the bank will look at the household's combined affordability.

Do I need a deposit?

Many first-time buyers get a bond for the full price, but a deposit usually gets a better interest rate and a smaller repayment. Either way you need cash for transfer duty, attorney and Deeds Office fees - see the cost of buying calculator.

I live outside South Africa - can I get a bond?

SA banks generally lend non-residents up to half of the price, so the calculator sets the deposit to half when you tick non-resident.