Calculate how long to pay off your debt and compare the snowball (smallest first) vs avalanche (highest rate first) strategies. See exactly how much interest you save.
Snowball vs Avalanche: Which is Better?
Both strategies use the same total monthly payment — you pay minimums on all debts and apply extra to one target debt. The difference is which debt you target first:
| Feature | Snowball | Avalanche |
|---|
| Target debt | Smallest balance first | Highest interest rate first |
| Psychological win | Faster (see debts disappear) | Slower |
| Total interest paid | Usually more | Usually less |
| Time to debt-free | Usually longer | Usually shorter |
| Best for | Motivation/behavior | Pure math/savings |
The Extended Calculator below adds Snowball, Avalanche, and Custom Order tabs with a debt balance timeline chart. The Professional Calculator provides a full multi-debt consolidated analysis with total interest saved visualization.
SA Debt Statistics
South Africans carry significant household debt. Understanding your options is the first step to financial freedom:
- Credit card interest rates in SA are typically 15-22.5% per annum (prime + up to 14%)
- Personal loan rates range from 12-29.25% per annum
- Store accounts can charge up to 29.25% per annum (the National Credit Act cap)
- Paying just the minimum on a R25,000 credit card at 22% can take over 20 years to pay off
How Minimum-Only Payments Work Against You
Many credit card minimum payments are calculated as 3% of the outstanding balance (or a fixed minimum, whichever is higher). As your balance decreases, so does the minimum — meaning the bank stretches your repayment period indefinitely. Even a small extra payment applied consistently to the highest-rate debt can reduce your payoff timeline by years.