What would raiding your pension actually leave you with?

How much can I withdraw from my pension under the two-pot system?

Only what is in your savings component, once per tax year, with a minimum of R2,000. On 1 September 2024 that component was seeded with 10% of your vested savings capped at R30,000, and since then one third of every contribution has been going into it plus investment growth. This calculator estimates the seed plus everything accrued since — which is why your monthly contribution moves the figure more than your total fund value does.

Why does raising my fund value stop changing the answer?

Because the 2024 seed was capped at R30,000, and 10% of R300,000 is already R30,000. From a fund of R300,000 upwards the seed is the same no matter how large the fund. It is a real limit in the law, not a limit of this calculator. What still grows your accessible amount is the third of each contribution that has been accruing since September 2024.

How is a two-pot withdrawal taxed?

At your marginal income tax rate, because the withdrawal is added to your taxable income for the year. This calculator estimates your marginal rate from your annual income using the SARS 2026 tables. SARS also deducts any tax you already owe before paying you out, and your fund charges a processing fee, so your actual net amount may be lower than the estimate.

Why is the lost growth figure so large?

Money left in a retirement fund compounds. Money you withdraw stops compounding the day you take it out. This grows the withdrawn amount at about 10% a year over 15 years to show what you give up in future retirement value. A modest amount today can be worth several times more by retirement, so withdrawing is expensive before you even count the tax.

Is withdrawing to pay debt ever the right call?

Sometimes — clearing a genuinely short-term, very high-interest debt with money you would otherwise pay interest on for years can make sense. What rarely makes sense is withdrawing against debt you cannot clear, because you pay the tax and give up the growth and still owe most of the debt. This tool shows you what share of the debt the withdrawal would actually cover, which is usually the number that settles it.

How accurate are these numbers?

They are estimates to illustrate a trade-off, not a tax calculation. Your exact accessible amount, marginal rate, rebates, fund fees and growth assumptions depend on your fund and your full tax position. Confirm the retirement and tax specifics with your fund or a financial adviser before making any withdrawal.