The good old days

South Africans aged 60 and above don't live as long as pensioners in other countries, but they feel better off in terms of income security.

This is according to the Global Age Watch Index 2014, launched yesterday to mark the UN International Day of Older Persons.

The index, representing 91% of people over the age of 60 across the world, measures income security, health, personal capability and an enabling environment. It ranked South Africa 80th out of 96 countries for the social and economic wellbeing of older people.

It found that South Africans aged 60 can expect to live for another 16 years, compared with the global average of 20 or more years.

Income security was ranked high (19) for the elderly in South Africa, though personal security and health care remained issues. More than 90% of those aged 65 and over had a pension.

According to Statistics SA, a total of 232191 elderly South Africans live in households with no income, and 15198 live in households with an annual income greater than R2.4-million.

There are more than 4.1-million people aged 60 years and over in South Africa.

Tony Lightfoot, 74, is one of them.

Lightfoot said: "Life is what you make it, and I make my life fantastic."

For the past nine years, Lightfoot has run Booklovers Paradise, a bookshop at Northcliff Corner Shopping Centre in Johannesburg.

The father of two works an average of 70 hours every week and maintains an active lifestyle. He runs, swims and canoes.

"People are always too busy to exercise, but are never too busy to visit the doctor," he said.

Another pensioner, London-born "Sylvia", 86, recalled her days working for British Intelligence, a brewery in Hong Kong, and the South African Society of Anaesthesiologists.

"I was fiercely independent. Life is much bleaker now. There is not much excitement because I don't travel that much, and I loved travelling," she said.

Sylvia lives at the Queen Alexandra Retirement Home in Orange Grove in Johannesburg. Fellow resident and pianist Esther Lazarus, a "young 70-something", believed her life was "fulfilled" following the births of her two sons.

Though South Africa dropped 15 spots from the last index, it was one of the best-performing African countries, behind Mauritius (38). Just behind South Africa were Ghana (81) and Morocco (83).

Norway was ranked best overall, closely followed by Sweden. Western Europe, North America and Australasia dominated the top 10 positions.

Afghanistan was ranked the worst place for an older person to live.