South Africa, Feb. 19 -- What's clear from the data is that many students are unprepared for the true cost of living in South Africa. Moving out of home for the first time and being confronted with the responsibility of doing their own shopping comes with a financial learning curve, and our respondents expressed shock at the frequency and scale of their expenses. Groceries and household items emerged as the biggest monthly expense, with students spending an average of R1701. Nearly half of respondents (49.58%) reported that this category consumes most of their budget, highlighting the financial strain of basic necessities.

Takeout culture is another key player in student spending, with 38.36% of respondents admitting they spend a signifi...