Savings Month kicks off late this year in order to avoid a clash with the final stages of the FIFA World Cup and to ensure focus on saving for the country and the continent. Instead of beginning early July as is traditional and running through to July 31, this year’s Savings Month will begin on July 20 and run until late August.
The change was announced today (Thursday, July 1) by Elizabeth Lwanga-Nanziri, chief executive officer of the South African Savings Institute (SASI), organisers and coordinators of the savings awareness-raising initiative.
“Savings Month is dependent for much of its success on broad participation by the media,” she noted. “Understandably, a lot of media space is dedicated to soccer during the World Cup.
“To ensure high awareness and gain the fullest access to a wide range of media, it has been decided to push back the launch of Savings Month until after the tournament.
“We believe the post-tournament period will also ensure that South Africans are receptive to our message. They will have witnessed some great saves during the World Cup. We will be inviting them to pull off a few great saves of their own. It will also allow for the event to take place when schools are open, in order to ensure full participation of our youth.”
In the period immediately after the closing ceremony on July 11, SASI strategists anticipate that major corporates, small businesses, families and individuals will be carrying out an inventory of World Cup gains and losses.
“Many South Africans will draw financial benefit,” said Lwanga-Nanziri. “But investments and costs will need to be assessed as well. For the nation’s soccer team it will also be a time to start looking forward to another four years to the next World Cup.
“This creates an environment in which people are assessing net gains, deciding what to do with additional incomes and planning future goals. This is an ideal environment in which to communicate a savings message.
“By exploiting the post-World Cup mood we can score some goals of our own in terms of high awareness and improved media play.”
Savings Month will start with a launch event in the Industrial Development Corporation Auditorium at the IDC Campus in Sandton on July 20. As is tradition, the National Department of Finance is expected to deliver the keynote address.