Nedbank Gives South Africans a Reality Check with Latest Campaign

Leading up to Savings Month, Nedbank in partnership with agency Joe Public launched their latest campaign showcasing the harsh reality of not saving enough for retirement.

“90% of South Africans do not save enough for retirement. On top of that, the average South African spends 80% of their salary in just five days, and 67% of their monthly income is used to pay off debt. These statistics are alarming, and as the money experts who do good, Nedbank recognised the need to bring awareness to the issue of spending behaviour and saving in South Africa,” commented Buli Ndlovu, executive head, retail and business banking marketing for Nedbank.

For our activation Joe Public took over a trendy restaurant in Sandton, Africa’s richest square mile, and substituted the young and lively waitrons with elderly actors who were way past retirement age. The agency captured everything on hidden cameras to later reach a wider audience online.

There were mixed reactions from the patrons during their dining experience, and it was only when the bill arrived highlighting the campaign message: “Reality Check. 90% of South Africans can’t afford to retire”, that the penny dropped.

The campaign sparked a lively debate about retirement online, and as hoped, also resulted in the kind of introspection about saving that leads to action.

“Most South Africans find it difficult to save but what they don’t realise is that it’s never too late to start, even with a small amount every month. The more we can highlight issues like this in our communication, the brighter our future as a nation will be,” added Martin Schlumpf, integrated executive creative director for Joe Public United.