We encourage our staff to be fully funded and to holistically take care of themselves- from exercising, having hobbies, taking vacations, etc. You need to consider these things to be sustainable in missions and not get burnt out! There are more affordable options for each that can be explored, but budget more rather than less, to be better prepared for unexpected costs.

As a member of YWAM Muizenberg you are required to raise your own financial support to cover your costs of living (and any dependents that are accompanying you). YWAM values faith based living and support, however we highly recommend that you arrive fully funded so that your focus can be on what God has called you to do and not on worrying about finances.

A good place to start raising your support is to make a budget of what costs you will need to consider, below are some examples. From there, we would encourage you to do a free, online course through YWAM called “Relational Fundraising”

It is also advised that you put together a prayer team- a group of people you can specifically send a WhatsApp message to when you need extra encouragement and prayer throughout your time in ministry! Prayer can bring breakthrough when you need it- this is an invaluable part of your team

Tip: Depending on where you are joining YWAM Muizenberg from a YWAM base in your home country may be able to help handle ways of receiving your monthly support e.g. YWAM Vancouver in Canada will help Canadian missionaries overseas set up and receive their support and YWAM Kona, USA offers the same to US Citizens. It may be worthwhile for you to contact a local YWAM base in your home country to see if there are options available.

WHAT DOES “FULLY FUNDED” MEAN?

It is difficult to give a definite answer to this as everyone has different needs and values (e.g. schooling for dependents; medical expenses; type of accommodation chosen; distance travelling to ministry/YWAM base etc.). The term ‘fully funded’ refers to having the full amount of support needed to maintain your life in mission without going into debt or ‘survival mode’ but instead being able to thrive without living a life of ‘excess’. Being fully funded means having your needs comfortably met financially. We suggest that the absolute minimum amount to fundraise would be R5000 / month for a single person, and R10,000 / month for a couple-- but setting your goal beyond this is highly suggested.

Approximate Costs of Accomidation

Again this is dependent on where you are living and in what circumstance (e.g. aka house share, apartment, house, etc.). We recommend searching on websites such as Gumtree or Private Property to get an idea of costs. Be aware when searching, as some areas may be more dangerous to live in than others so confirm with a YWAMer already on the field as to what areas would be suitable before committing. You will also need to consider if you will be having a vehicle or not, and if not are you are in safe walking distance of the YWAM base/your ministry).

• A single person wanting to house share: R3000-4000

• A small apartment for a single or couple: R7000-10000

• Accomidation for small family (1-2 small children): R8000-R15,000

• Accomidation for a larger family: R15,000-30,000

Approximate Costs for Groceries:

Here are some examples of items at the local grocery store within walking distance from our YWAM Base:

• Milk (2L): R25

• Brown Bread: R19

• Eggs (18 pack): R30

• Pasta (500g): R 11

• Rice: (1kg): R25

• Chicken (pack of 4 drumsticks and 4 wings): R64

• Beans (500kg): R20

• Apples (bag): R25

Alternatively breakfast, lunch and dinner are served from our YWAM Base kitchen daily, you can pay for these meals at the Finances Office and sign up for them by the previous Friday morning outside of the kitchen door. Breakfast on base is R12, Lunch is R25 and Dinner is R26.

Tip: To truly estimate costs, write a list of what you would usually buy and then do a trial ‘online shop’ (but not actually ‘checking out’) on either PicknPay or Woolworths to help you get an idea of what you should budget each week for groceries etc. PicknPay is a more affordable grocery store, whereas Woolworths is slightly more expensive, but often better quality.

Note: There are grocery stores within driving distance that have a greater variety of items if you have dietary restrictions (eg. gluten, lactose), but they cost a bit more. 

Please note this is a ‘goal budget’ and most of our YWAM staff do not reach this amount and get by with less, HOWEVER our wish is not that you just ‘get by’ and survive but that you thrive, so we recommend you trying to aim for this income (or something similar). It may appear high however keep in mind that some expenses you may not have in your home country e.g. setting aside for flights, healthcare, retirement.

Two things to also consider - inflation and the exchange rate (if you are an international staff). With inflation, the price of everything goes up every year - prepare for this in your budget and plan on needing an increase of how much you raise. Also consider that the exchange rate will change - expecting it to stay the same as when you arrive is unrealistic (be that that its high or low by comparison to your country of origins currency). Instead, base your budget assuming a low conversion rate, then you’ll be “fully-funded” when the conversion rate is low, and just have bonus money if the exchange rate goes up… much better than the other way around!

Example of a Monthly Budget for a Couple (so for a Single Person, this could most likely just be cut in half):

Rent — R8000 x 12 =R96,000

Groceries & Toiletries — R6500 x 12 = R78,000

Electricity — R500 x 12 = R600

Water — R200 x 12 = R2,400

Petrol (Gas) — R1000 x 12 = R12,000

Insurance/Medical Aid — R3000 x 12 = R36,000

Gym Total for both — R750 x 12 = R9,000

Date Nights — R1000 x 12 = R12,000

Spending Money — R1000 x 12 = R12,000

Miscellaneous — R1000 x 12 = R12,000

Car Insurance — R1000 x 12 = R12,000

Flights Home (putting aside each month approx. 2 years) — R1500 x 12 = R18,000

Emergency (set aside and allow to build up) — R2000 x 12 = R24,000

Phone Bills — R400 x 12 = R4,800

Clothes — R400 x 12 = R4,800

Self-Care (haircuts, hiring a domestic cleaner etc) — R1000 x 12 = R12,000

Vacations — R550 x 12 = R6,600

Car Maintenance — R550 x 12 = R6,600

Tithe — R3500 x 12 = R42000

Marriage Counseling — R1000 x 12 = R12,000

Individual Counseling (approx 2 sessions each a month) — R2000 x 12 = R24,000

Retirement — R2500 x 12 = R30,000

Visa Costs — R3000

Total — R466,800