Stories
One of the youngsters who attended the Money for sho programme, scheduled on 21 May 2026 at the Kleinkrantz area, left school early. She stayed for the duration of the programme and was very excited about receiving a certificate for the first time.
During a training session I arranged with SEDFA for participants of the Construction Entrepreneurial Programme, one participant shared that his recent vehicle finance application had been declined by the banks. On review, it was clear that the decline was linked to patterns of reckless spending visible across both his personal and business accounts. His business bank statements showed transactions with liquor shops, clothing accounts, and frequent cash withdrawals that were clearly personal in nature. Because the account mixed business income with personal expenses, the bank could not distinguish between business performance and personal lifestyle. This lack of separation created the impression of poor financial discipline and weak cash flow management, which directly harmed his credit history and reduced the business’s credibility in the eyes of lenders. The issue was not that the business lacked potential, but that the financial records failed to tell a reliable and professional story that a lender could trust. This clearly indicates the need for practical financial education, especially for young people who are now being considered for soft loans and other enterprise support. Many youth have the ideas and drive to start businesses, but they often lack exposure to basic business account management, cash flow discipline, and the way lenders assess risk. In this case, the participant lost a real opportunity that could have helped him grow his construction work and create more income. It was not a lack of effort or a bad business idea that stopped him, but a lack of knowledge about how to keep business and personal finances separate and how those records directly influence creditworthiness. Without this understanding, young entrepreneurs risk missing out on funding that is specifically designed to support them, and the cycle of limited growth continues.
This Month I trained in AD Lazarus Secondary school (venue) we had the youth for surrounding areas,we had a great turnup of participants who showed a lot of enthusiasm and hunger for skills and knowledge,to grow themselves as some of them are already running their own businesses,we had people who have NPOs,providing computer skills,some of them are hairdressers etc.what I loved about this group,is that on the last day when we had a conversation on what is the way forward since they now had attended our sessions,they shared that they had already asked each other what they need, and most of them do not have drivers licenses,so now their goal was to form something to say let's collect money for one person and they go and enroll at a driving school,next person and so on until everyone has a learners license and again when it is time for driving lessons, they will do the same thing.I loved that because obtaining a driver's license is expensive,especially for someone who is unemployed.That just warmed my heart because the others said they do have drivers license, so they just want computer skills and to have their PDP's.This will give them more chances to be employed. On the last day,the principal of the school asked for a slot in the morning to come in and motivate the participants,this was unexpected and well received because the schools were closed for Ascension day but the principal took time and came to the session.He motivated the participants to say,the skills they were given,they should use them to make a living for themselves,there is no big company in SA that will be able to employ everyone,but some of us have to open our own business and employ each other to close the unemployment gap.This was heart warming,we really did have an amazing week,we can rest and move on to the next group knowing that we did make a difference one session at a time.
A Money Fo Sho training was successfully conducted for members of the Assemblies of God congregation in the Malukazi branch in Durban.There were also several community members from the surrounding area who showed interest in improving their financial knowledge. The training recorded a positive turnout, with participants actively engaging throughout the sessions. The level of enthusiasm and eagerness displayed was exceptionally high. Participants demonstrated a strong desire to learn and openly shared their financial experiences, challenges and expectations. The interactive nature of the training created an environment where participants felt comfortable asking questions, contributing to discussions, and seeking clarity on various financial topics.The presence of the community members from outside the church congregation also added diversity to the discussions and enriched the learning experience. One of the most significant highlights of the training was the 'aha moment' experienced by many participants. This refers to the point when individuals suddenly gained a clearer understanding of how their financial behaviours direcly affect future stability and wellbeing. They recognized that financial challenges are not only caused by limited income, but also by spending habits, lack of planning and poor financial discipline and this highlighted the transformative power of financial literacy and the importance of continued education and empowerment in this area.
On 5 may i had digital sanlam Budgeting basics sessions. this sessions really help participants see where they where doing wrong when it comes to their financies, most of them never used budget before, they where just spending money on wants which lead them to more debts. but after the sessions they where looking forward to making some changes . using snowball method to pay off debts they already have, and also creating a budget before spending their money and also put needs first over wants
On the 29th of April I went to facilitate Money Modular 10, teaching children about money, to the the CWP group in Motherwell that I had already started with Money fo sho the previous week. They were supposed to get paid that weekend and it was a long weekend. Before I started the class I asked the participants how was the long weekend and said that they must have been happy because it was payday but to my surprise one of them told me that some of them did not get paid, including him. He told me that because of the previous session (Money fo sho) where I shared my first time experience with money and how it shaped me to live within my means, he also did the same. He did not go out and borrow money so that he can have fun, he lived with what he had until his payment was sorted.
Laurium Capital took place in different places Worcester, Ashton and Villiersdorp, It was a great opportunity for these communities, to empower young and adults through financial skills gives a very peaceful life in them, knowledge and skills was gained,what I have noticed to the organizers, the age was not considered which I had to mentioned to them again, the community of Ashton Zolani location has mentioned that, they need more trainings especially the entrepreneurship skills and other skills, it was very good to work with Khanyisa Development, they are assisting us a lot,and I'm looking forward to work with them.
In partnership with Avocado Vision, I've managed to empower Ntswelengwe Village Community in the Northern Cape with Financial Literacy Skills - specifically Money Modular - Module 1 (Budgeting - Digging Deeper) and Module 5 (Boosting Income). Our local municipality PR Councillor was so impressed by the contents covered and said that he's been missing a lot by not attending our sessions. He also encouraged youth and community members to attend our workshops because he noticed the importance of financial literacy.
Training worksite for Sanlam it was a great opportunity for the most of the trained attendees because majority are young people and they are starting to work. Training Money Moduler courses gave more information and direction to the attendees. Many of young people where sharing the lack of information regarding planning about they're finances and saving money and at the end of all the workshops conducted, they felt informed and others promised to inquire to insurance companies regarding their Policys they bought. Majority of the employees they did not open their payslip because of they lost hope and after the workshop many promised to work on their money management skills and start paying Debt in time
