81pc of affluent Kenyans eye six-figure bonuses –StanChart

Thirty percent of the respondents are looking forward to taking home an additional amount of between Sh200,001 and Sh300,000 in total bonuses from 20 percent of those surveyed last year.

Slightly more than a quarter (26 percent) expect between Sh100,001 and Sh200,000 down from 30 percent.

One in four (25 percent) Kenyans hoped to get a bonus in the range of Sh300,001 and half a million this year from nine percent.

Seven percent from five percent expected a bonus of less than Sh100,000.

The StanChart survey shows that eight percent of Kenya’s affluent community expects a bonus of between Sh500,001 and Sh700,000 from 12 percent and those awaiting between Sh700,001 and Sh900,000 were three percent from nine percent.

Only one percent of those surveyed said they are expecting a bonus of above Sh900,000 this year down from 15 percent of respondents in 2024.

The survey which sampled views from 150 affluent and emerging affluent –those who earn above Sh133,000 per month up to Sh4 million- aged above 35 years found that in contrast to 2024, most or 69 percent of consumers expect at least two bonuses.

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A third (34 percent) expected one bonus from 22 percent and those who anticipated two were 35 percent from 25 percent in the previous year.

These bonuses are classified as performance based on how well the company does, profit sharing bonus, commission based, December or holiday bonus and retention bonus.

Six (63 percent) in ten people were looking forward to a performance bonus from 59 percent and 54 percent down from 61 percent waiting on a profit-sharing bonus.

The number of those expecting a commission-based bonus fell 17 percent from 56 percent to 39 percent as well as those waiting for a December bonus from 47 percent to 37 percent.

“Consumers look towards better managing their finances this year by investing more and paying down their debts,” read the report in part.
“Compared to 2024, 35 to 39-year-olds are more likely to allocate more to investments in 2025.”

On average, a significant proportion of respondents (21 percent) will allocate their bonuses to paying down debts and 31 percent towards investments. Twenty-six percent say the bonus will go towards savings and 22 percent will spend it.

These decisions are led by several factors such as market volatility, rising mortgage, loan or interest rates, inflationary pressures, fear of redundancy and changes in life stages for example marriage, childbirth, and retirement among others.

More than half (56 percent) of respondents plan on investing more than in the past year.

Investors are looking at property, land and equities.

“Existing to Bank (ETB) clients prefer investing in stocks or equities, government bonds, foreign currency deposits, commodities, endowment insurance plans, and alternative assets…reinvesting in own business and commodities are categories that saw a significant drop from 2024,” read the report in part.

Four in ten (40 percent) people said they intend to invest in property or land or stocks.

Down from 43 percent last year, the affluent are rethinking reinvesting their bonuses in their own businesses (31 percent).

StanChart says the employment profile of the respondents was topped by those in full employment at 68 percent, 23 percent were self-employed, and 17 percent were on part part-time basis.

They were in various industries including education (23 percent), manufacturing (16 percent), 14 percent in food and beverages, 13 percent in healthcare and ten percent were in technology.

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