Bad debts ease as SA pays up

South Africans' bad debts have improved on a year ago, but the picture for the year to date is mixed.

Statistics SA reported yesterday that the number of civil summonses issued for debt was down 16.7% in June from a year earlier, at 48169.

The number of civil judgments for debt also fell from a year earlier - down 10.5% to 21954 in June.

However, the amount of money involved is higher, up 1.6% to R350.6-million.

While the long-term trend is downward, the picture has seen falls and spikes - and judgments appear to be turning higher.

The ratio of household debt to disposable income was 73.2% in the first quarter of this year, down from about 80% in 2013, Investec economist Kamilla Kaplan said earlier this week.