The real impact on people’s lives
Vundla says that learning these sorts of skills through WageWise has had a profound impact on people’s daily realities. For example, Bongani, a 25-year-old former small business owner, used to struggle to save because he spent more than he needed to. He said WageWise taught him to differentiate between needs and wants, read a payslip, and increase his credit score.
Yasmeen, also 25, earns a small internship stipend that she struggles to stretch to cover all her expenses. “The programme made me realise I was wasting money in the past. I used to focus more on my wants than my needs,” she added. She’s now managing to save R250 a month for emergencies and to get her driver’s licence.
39-year-old single mom of two, Zanele, earns under R3,000 a month and gets little to no maintenance support from her ex-partner. WageWise helped her budget and prioritise her needs over wants. She is now looking for ways to earn additional income to support her family. Critically, she learnt to start ‘where you are, with what you have’. She now aims to start – and grow – a small business venture.