Now in its fifth year of existence, the programme is set to be rolled out nationally on 16 July. To date, TCTS SA^TM lessons have reached more than 350 000 Grades 4 to 7 learners in over 1 500 schools nationwide. An initiative of The Banking Association South Africa and its partners, the initiative focuses on primary school children under the age of 13. The rationale is that the earlier children learn about the importance of saving and spending money wisely, the higher the chances that this culture will become engrained in them.

Delivering the lessons are volunteer bankers and financial sector professionals, ‘teachers-for-67 minutes’ who have willingly traded the boardroom for the classroom to instil lifelong sound habits of saving. To date, the programme has attracted more than 16 banks and 30 financial sector institutions who participate. The programme has also been endorsed by the SADC Banking Association as the regional financial literacy programme.

And because children learn from example, the programme has appointed well-known entertainment TV and radio personality, Minenhle “Minnie” Dlamini to be its ambassador.

Dlamini (22) is an actress on M-Net’s popular soapie The Wild. She is also the new face of international hair care brand Motions and Metro FM’s latest addition.

“Minnie is the type of young person whom we hope to produce in this country. She is financially savvy, astute, and because of this, is now financially independent. This is what makes her an inspirational personality. This young role model personifies the type of behaviour we hope to instil through this programme,” says Fikile Kuhlase, senior general manager of socio-economic growth and development division at the Banking Association.