How much do you need to retire comfortably?

You’re building a career. Who’s looking after your future self?

The next booking. The outstanding invoice. The equipment you need to replace. When you work for yourself, there’s always something that needs your money now.

Retirement can feel like a conversation for another day. Preferably a day when every client has paid on time and your income has finally become predictable.

Fair enough. But what if that perfectly settled month keeps moving?

You spend so much time making your creative career possible. It’s worth asking what will make life possible when you want to take fewer bookings, step away from deadlines, or simply rest.

What would you like your hard work today to make possible for you later?

What does retirement look like when you work for yourself?

Maybe you don’t picture yourself stopping completely. You love what you do. You might still want to shoot, design, perform or write for years to come.

But loving your work and needing every project to cover your bills are two different experiences.

Perhaps your version of retirement is a three-day working week. Choosing projects because they interest you. Having the freedom to say, “I’m taking this month off,” without immediately doing the maths.

That future deserves a place in your plans, even while you’re still figuring out this month.

What is a retirement annuity?

A retirement annuity, often called an RA, is a long-term investment designed to help you build savings for retirement. You can contribute independently of an employer, which makes it relevant to people who work for themselves. [1]

If you don’t have a workplace retirement fund, there may be no automatic contribution happening behind the scenes. Making provision for later life becomes something you need to arrange.

An RA is one option to understand as part of that planning. Before choosing a product, ask about its fees, investment risks, contribution flexibility and access rules. It’s a long-term commitment, so those details matter alongside the amount you put in.

What could putting something aside look like?

Use the HustleNest retirement calculator below to explore a monthly contribution of R250 or R500. Enter your age and compare the illustrated outcomes at age 65.

Can’t see the calculator? Open the calculator in a new tab.

The illustration assumes an 8% annual return, compounded monthly, contributions of R250 or R500 a month, and retirement at 65. The return is an assumption, not a guarantee. These contribution options are calculator scenarios, not confirmation of a particular product’s price or minimum contribution. Read the calculator’s disclaimer alongside your result.

Does the result mean you’ll have enough?

Seeing a projected total can make a distant future feel more tangible. But that number isn’t a verdict on whether you’re set for retirement.

How much you need depends on the life that money must support: housing, food, healthcare, family responsibilities and how long it needs to last. Rising prices also mean a future rand won’t necessarily buy what a rand buys today. [2]

The calculator illustrates what regular contributions could grow into under its assumptions. It doesn’t calculate your personal retirement income needs or establish that R250 or R500 a month will be enough.

Use the result to open the conversation: What am I already putting aside, and how does that connect to the future I’m imagining?

What if your income changes every month?

That’s a real consideration. A strong month can be followed by a quiet one, and money that looks available may already be needed for tax, expenses or the gap between projects.

You don’t need to pretend those pressures disappear. A useful next step is to get clear on your position:

Do you already have retirement savings, including money from a previous job?
What room is there in your budget after essential costs and commitments?
What happens to contributions and fees if work slows down?
Who can help you assess whether your current plan fits your needs?

A qualified financial adviser can help you work through those questions using your circumstances, rather than a generic target.

You already put time, care and energy into building a life through your work.

Your future self belongs in that picture too.

Try the calculator. Look at where you are. Give that future a little space in today’s conversation.