Financial literacy is fundamental in empowering people to take charge of their financial destiny. Money matters impact on almost every sphere of a person’s life – and financial literacy gives people the power to take more control of their lives. Visa recognises that corporate citizens have an important role to play in providing economic empowerment and has allied itself with consumers to promote responsible money management and its twin, economic growth. Visa has a decade-long commitment to promoting financial literacy worldwide and has pledged to empower twenty million people with financial literacy skills by 2013.

In South Africa, this message is being spread through, among others, an industrial theatre roadshow, where the audience learns basic financial skills. This format builds on the strong oral tradition in Africa. The learning experience is fun and improves the financial fitness of the audience as they follow the lead characters, Andile and Nhlanhla, though their trials and triumphs in becoming money wise. The audience learns as the characters learn.

This industrial theatre performance is an ideal platform to achieve the desired objectives set by FIFA and the LOC for the Ticket Fund. Financial education is a cornerstone in social upliftment and can result in a lasting change and help to build a better future for the performance attendees.

How the FIFA World Cup™ can help

In the build-up to the FIFA World Cup™, the script has been adapted to integrate football theme. Just as FIFA hopes that the tournament will have a lasting effect on the host nation, Visa hopes to create a long-term impact on the financial management skills of those watching the show. Visa will take the financial literacy shows to employees of companies based in all nine provinces working in the hospitality and tourism sector who are the face of South Africa when welcoming tourists to our country for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The target includes hotel/resort staff and the workforce in the fuel sector and tourism sector. The target group falls into the low-income bracket, often has low literacy levels and their earnings will be mainly spent on daily staple requirements, not tickets for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. All employees of the companies visited by Visa who attend the show will receive a ticket.

So far Visa has been able to reach over 120,000 people with the roadshow. This has been aided by partnerships with its client financial institutions (banks) as well as the Department of Trade and Industry of South Africa.

Objectives:

• Contribute towards sustained economic growth, development and social transformation in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa through financial literacy education

• Celebrate the FIFA World Cup™ with the people of South Africa

• Bring financial literacy education directly to communities to help create better access to financial services in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa

• Present a show that is educational, but also entertaining, relevant and delivered in such a way that the audience both understands and remembers the core messages

• Reward participants for openness to personal development (including 5,000 FIFA World Cup tickets)

• Extend the reach of the Visa financial literacy roadshows to an even greater audience

• Give South Africans the opportunity to experience soccer and the community unity that an event like the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ offers