Saving encouraged through radio drama

27 Oct 2013

'Savings Matters', a radio drama series currently being broadcast across a number of community radio stations is urging South Africans not to forget the importance of saving and to plan properly for their financial future.

The radio programme combines drama, storytelling and talk radio, to teach and explain various themes around the topic of saving. Conceptualised and produced by Johannesburg-based agency, Busi Ntuli Communications (BNC), its mission is to teach all South Africans about the importance of saving and financial planning.

The main fictional character of the storyline is a 70-year-old bakery mogul, Mooi Gogo, who owns a string of bakeries across Soweto. She is respected by the community for her humble beginnings, her business acumen and her passion for teaching anyone who cares to listen about the importance of saving, as well as life skills related to money and financial matters in general. Mooi Gogo knows most of her customers by name and they come to her if they need financial advice and in some cases, she gives advice even when she has not been asked for it.

Buy bonds

"Our client, the National Treasury, wanted us to help encourage the South African public - young and old - to take saving seriously and to consider the RSA Retail Savings Bonds as an optional saving vehicle," said Busi Ntuli, MD of BNC.

"Since 2004, the National Treasury used traditional means of advertising to create awareness of the importance of saving and to promote the RSA Retail Savings Bonds. We felt that the lack of a savings culture in South Africa required a mind-set change, which traditional advertising was failing to effectively communicate."

The agency has conceptualised and produced a 30 minutes weekly radio programme that features a 10-minute radio drama and a complementary 20 minutes financial talk show, hosted by Tumisho Masha (renowned actor and producer) that is syndicated via satellite to twenty community radio stations across the country.

Ntuli describes Mooi Gogo as, "no nonsense, straight talker, who preaches the importance of saving to all South Africans. She tackles different themes that resonate with every South African, ranging from teaching children how to save, saving for retirement, saving for education, effective stokvels, the dangers of loan sharks and many other related financial topics.

"The importance of saving can never be exaggerated and we hope this type of creative campaign - which uses radio theatre - will go a long way towards encouraging ordinary South Africans to save and to be aware of our savings products," said an RSA Retail Savings Bonds' marketing & sales executive representative.

Interact with the show

"With its sound financial system, South Africa offers a wide variety of savings opportunities for its people. Unfortunately, in South Africa, the rate of private savings by households needs improving. Not having enough money usually results in most people feeling helpless and in turn leaves them vulnerable to unplanned or unexpected events. It is exactly these people that we are hoping to reach with the help of Mooi Gogo and her friends at the RSA Retail Savings Bonds," concludes Ntuli.

Listeners are also invited to interact with the show and to like Mooi Gogo's Facebook page, which is an extension of the radio drama, and follow on Twitter @SavingMatters.