STANLIB’s corporate social investment (CSI) initiatives have always revolved around education and getting involved in financial literacy was a logical step. A large section of the population needs to be made aware of the availability of savings tools that are easily accessible and inexpensive. Although there are many savings options available, choosing the correct investment vehicle can be a daunting task for people who are not financially literate.
The tricky part of imparting financial knowledge onto school goers is to get them to listen and to buy into the message. Let’s face it, savings and compound interest presentations are just not “cool” and have the ability to put an average adult to sleep. The format of this educational campaign had to be fun, accessible and relevant to the youth.
The idea of a movie was spawned by Nolwandle Ntshiza, the CSI manager at STANLIB. She worked tirelessly to create the concept and see through the production of Smartbucks: Mind your Moolah. The result is an hour long film, featuring two local comedians, Tol A$$ Mo and Popps, set in a Jozi township. In between the explanations of factual information come scenes from the protagonists’ lives and their troubles with debt and debt collectors.
The film is relevant, funny and informative. It has been screened in 14 Ster Kinekor theatres on Sunday mornings to over 15,000 school children from 104 high schools nationwide.
Thabo Dloti, STANLIB CEO, says, “Each year over 550, 000 learners write matric and enter the labour market without an education in basic financial skills such as saving and investing. We are facing a social and economic catastrophe if something is not done. While Smartbucks will educate learners about spending, we ultimately hope it will change their attitude towards money. By investing in financial literacy at an early age, more people will hopefully understand the importance of investing for the long term and start saving earlier. We believe that in so doing we can make a huge difference to the South African economy.”