Stories
A three day(2-4 June 2026) Amana Safrican Money Fo Sho Training was conducted for mostly youth participants from the rural areas of Underberg. where access to such educational opportunities is limited. The training aimed to equip young people with essential financial management. Attendance during the first two days was lower than anticipated. This was largely attributed to limited awareness of the programme and initial uncertainty among community members regarding training's value. However, the situation changed significantly on the third day. Following positive feedback and enthusiastic recommendations from the participants who attended the earlier sessions, word of mouth spread throughout the community. As a result on the final day exceeded expectations, with many additional young people joining the training. Participants expressed great appreciation for the opportunity, describing the training as eye-opening and highly relevant to their personal and future financial goals.The session inspired hope and confidence, empowering them to make informed financial decisions and work towards a more secure future. The training was ultimately a success.The strong turnout on the final day demonstrated the value of the programme and the positive impact it had on the participants. The enthusiasm and gratitude shown by the youth highlighted the need for more financial literacy initiatives in rural communities where such opportunities are scarce.
In May and June 2026, Avocado Vision was invited by a Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) based in Roodepan, Kimberley to deliver the Sanlam Financial Literacy Programme to community members in one of the Northern Cape’s most underserved urban communities. The programme combined the Sanlam Money “fo” Sho foundational curriculum with seven targeted Money Modulars, creating a rich and comprehensive financial education experience for a diverse group of participants. The community that participated was beautifully diverse — bringing together youth from the age of 17, women, persons with disabilities, and older members of the community aged between 50 and 58. This cross-generational mix enriched every session, as participants drew on each other’s lived experiences to make the content real, relevant, and deeply personal. The inclusion of Module 9: Money & Beliefs was particularly significant for this community. Financial decision-making is deeply shaped by cultural values, family narratives, and long-held beliefs — and this module created a safe space for participants to examine and reimagine their relationship with money. Module 13: Funding a Funeral addressed a reality that many South African families face unprepared, while Module 5: Boosting My Income opened up possibilities for participants to think beyond their current income streams. The programme reached a community where financial literacy has historically been out of reach. From teenagers navigating their first encounters with money to older adults planning for retirement and the cost of death, every session met participants exactly where they were. The following key outcomes were observed ● Youth empowerment: Young participants aged 16 and above engaged actively with the content, many encountering formal financial concepts — budgeting, saving, tax — for the very first time. The sessions sparked a new sense of financial agency and possibility. ● Women’s financial confidence: Women in the group responded strongly to the income-boosting and belief-shifting modules, leaving with practical strategies to supplement household income and a refreshed mindset around money. ● Inclusion of persons with disabilities: The presence and full participation of persons with disabilities was a reminder that financial literacy is a universal right — and these participants contributed meaningfully to group discussions and take-aways. ● Older participants and retirement readiness: The 50–58 age group found Modules 7 and 13 especially valuable, gaining clarity on retirement planning, the Two-Pot System, and practical approaches to funeral funding that do not leave families financially devastated. ● Cultural and belief transformation: Module 9 opened honest conversations about how community beliefs, family pressure, and cultural norms shape spending behaviour — conversations many participants said they had never had before. These were some of the feedback we got from the participants that attended these sessions: “I am 54 years old and no one has ever sat down and explained retirement to me like this. I now understand the Two-Pot System and I know exactly what questions to ask my employer. It is not too late for me.” — Participant, Roodepan – Module 7: Ageing Gracefully “The module on Money and Beliefs changed my whole thinking. I grew up believing that talking about money was rude. Now I understand that silence about money is what keeps families poor. I am going to talk to my children differently.” — Participant, Roodepan – Module 9: Money & Beliefs “I am 17 years old and I have never had a budget before. After this training, I made my very first budget and I found money I did not even know I was wasting. I shared it with my mother and she also wants to come to training.” — Youth Participant, Roodepan – Money “fo” Sho & Module 1 “Nobody ever told us about funeral policies and what they actually cover. I always thought we would find a plan when the time came. Now I know that a plan must come before the time comes.” — Participant, Roodepan – Module 13: Funding a Funeral The Sanlam Financial Literacy Programme delivered in Roodepan stands as a testament to what is possible when a financial education programme meets a willing and engaged community. Participants walked away not just with knowledge, but with a new relationship with money — one built on awareness, confidence, and intention. I'm proud to have facilitated this engagement on behalf of the Sanlam Foundation and Avocado Vision and remains committed to extending the reach of financial literacy to every corner of the Northern Cape. We believe that when a community understands money, it changes everything — from how families save, to how businesses grow, to how the next generation is raised.
Sanlam MFS and MM was held in Villiersdorp community and in ASHTON Zolani Location it was a great opportunity, but the challenge was a time frame and the age group. The program was well planned for them, they learn new things and the skills, which they have participated a lot on saving and investing through their retirement and the UIF which the don't understand how does it works, they engaged a lot on how to focus and learn to control themselves, by starting their own businesses in order to earn on it. The understanding of all the sessions was amazing although we had a challenge of the vanue, the learners were kicked out, then we had to do trainings outside, what surprise me is that the learners were eager to learn they didn't go, they stay and learn, that shows how important that training was. The learners are seasonal workers, which they learn a lot retirement annuity, pension fund and UIF funds, they didn't know any difference in all 3 but now they are aware of what to do when they go back to work. Thank you Avocado and the Team for such great opportunity.
LAURIUM CAPITAL the training was held in Worcester, and it was organized by Khanyisa organization, it was a great opportunity for the community of Worcester to have such training in their community, simply because they have lots of future financial challenges in their lives, MFS was a great experience especially when we talked about how to track your budget, the 50%,30%,20% has opened their minds and Needs and wants where we find out that so many learners they make this other way, but the finally understand what the difference between, Young people and money was such a great sessions to start with because the house was full of young adults which have an opportunity to go University for their studies, no they understand what they can choose and how to save and investing their money when they start earning money. Thank you Avocado and the Team
Given the opportunity to train worksite session and i was training few modules that really made an impact to the lives of the participants. The workshop was conducted in the municipality of Lebane in the community of Ratanda, the Attendance was super exciting and the participants during the MM presentations the was so much engagement, questions and answers 😀 . During the workshop the group had so many dynamics old and young people who attended and where so enjoying each module that was presented each day in the workshop, catering was given to the participants aswell as the certificate of attended that really made a huge impact to so many people who attended 😀 During the MM 6 the where so much life experiences regarding the topic
I successfully completed all Coronation Financial Literacy training sessions in the developing community of Bergman, Bloemfontein. The sessions were hosted at a local church that serves as a hub for community empowerment initiatives aimed at addressing poverty and unemployment.The programme received an overwhelmingly positive response from community members. Attendance was consistently high, with some sessions exceeding the expected number of participants. The participants demonstrated a strong commitment to learning, actively engaging in discussions and activities throughout the training. A notable observation was the high demand for the programme, which occasionally resulted in venue capacity being reached and some participants having to be turned away. Despite the cold winter weather, community members remained eager to attend and learn, highlighting the need for such educational opportunities. One of the highlights of the programme was the privilege of hosting Phothuloha TV during one of our training sessions. Their presence provided valuable exposure to the initiative and helped showcase the importance of financial literacy education within the community. The impact of the training was evident in the enthusiasm shown by participants and their disappointment when informed that the programme had concluded. This response reflected the value they placed on the knowledge shared and their desire for continued learning and empowerment opportunities. Overall, the programme was a success, achieving strong participation, meaningful engagement, and positive outcomes. The experience reinforced the importance of financial literacy education in empowering individuals and communities to improve their financial well-being and future opportunities. The overwhelming interest and positive feedback from participants demonstrate the need for ongoing community-based training programmes that equip individuals with practical skills and knowledge for a better future.
I fruitfuly meet the local youth and community members in different locations for money for sho training programme as Avocado Vision in partnership with Sanlam. Groups of youth gathered in every 3 months for short courses in Nkomani youth center where I had a chance to meet them Participants were so elated to be part of the program and being empowered in financial literacy, what draws their attention it's recalling in their dreams and interacting as "where they are with it, how are they going to feel when it comes true". Listence Joama Lekhele shared her earliest memory with money she said "I started saving money since 2018 as I am receiving SRD grant with a goal to buy iPhone. I managed to save up to R4000 and I was in contact with a runner on Facebook claiming of selling iPhone. She Asked upfront payments without knowledge and as I was excited to archive my goal I pay her and she was nowhere to be found again.
I conducted my sessions at Ablaze Care Centre in Ntuzuma township, KZN, I was requested by the group that I trained on Coronation in April, to come back again as they enjoyed the previous sessions. We did 2 Modules, money safety and funerals and finance. In module 2 Sinikiwe Sibiya shared her story where she was tricked by Clientele agents into signing up for an insurance product, telling her that she was signing up for Shoprite vouchers. The good part in her story is that she managed to save her friend when the same people tried to trick her as well. This lady and others were very appreciative of the session. Another highlight was when they planned for the funeral, they managed to save a lot of money which was going to help the children after the death of their mother. I'll share their photos and video here
on 20 may 2026 i had couple of budgeting basics sessions. participants where very excited about the program, and very active during the sessions. most of them never used budget before but during the session they realised the importance of using budget. As they already have lots of debts due to not budgeting. they also liked the pay yourself first method as it will help them to save something before spending their income. overall it was very educative sessions
