SaveAct

29/04/2026

Nine years of saving. Nine years of growing. 🌱

Recently, SaveAct hosted a learning visit to one of our long-standing Savings Groups in rural KwaZulu-Natal. It was exciting to introduce an organisation focused on livelihoods and a philanthropist to our savings methodology, and demonstrate the power of how it can contribute to women's economic empowerment.

Over nearly a decade, this group has built more than just savings—they’ve grown microenterprises, strengthened their resilience through risk reduction practices, and created a culture of trust through transparency.

Members shared their pride in what they’ve achieved—and their eagerness to take their businesses even further through microenterprise training.

Real progress, built together. 💛

📸: from left to right Gugu Ngubane (Chairperson) and Gcwalisile Gubeni (Record Keeper) with Nomthandazo Mbonambi of SaveAct

13/04/2026

-SEED

09/02/2026

We are excited to see our SALT Game, developed originally for the Northern Cape, now being introduced into KZN. We hope to see it adopted throughout the country.

20/12/2025

Really great to hear from Mpendulo Savings. Your role in building the savings movement in South Africa has been so important. Thank you for your support.

For 20 years, the NPO SaveAct, along with its partners, has empowered vulnerable individuals, provided financial education, and facilitated the formation of savings groups.

Last year in South Africa, women, vulnerable individuals and rural communities collectively saved more than half a billion rands.

Let's work together to continue to promote "Freedom Through Saving".

20/12/2025

Always a pleasure to work with Ubunye Foundation. We are excited about we can do together with you. We look forward to reaching many more women and youth with you in 2026.

Off to Pietermaritzburg!!

Our amazing Sinako duo, Cynthia and Lindiswa, are off to Pietermaritzburg tomorrow for the SaveAct Annual Partners’ Meeting! 🚗💨
They’ll be connecting, learning, and sharing ideas to strengthen our collective impact. Go team Sinako! 💪

Kwandwe Private Game Reserve SaveAct HCI Foundation ViiV Healthcare

25/11/2025

SaveAct || Stories of Change

At the end of October, Biowatch SA Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region Siyakhula Sonke Trust Ubunye Foundation gathered to mark SaveAct’s 20th anniversary. We were privileged to hear and share so many stories of change. 💬✨📖

SaveAct Programme Manager Nolufefe Nonjeke-Dlanjwa explained, “When the SaveAct methodology lands, misery walks away.”

As part of our 20th anniversary, we were immensely privileged to be joined by Mrs Phyllis Ngubane from Table Mountain KZN, who joined a SaveAct savings group in 2012. She explained her growth within the group and how she became so committed to the concept that she became a field facilitator in 2014.

Two recurring keywords were hope and dignity, and for Mrs Ngubane, she explained how “SaveAct picks you up from nothing, dusts you off, and then allows you to sit with the king and queen.”

Through her savings, Mrs Ngubane bought a store 🏪(not a tuckshop—she was very specific), and she built a big house 🏠 (not a small house–again, she was very specific). After seeing her success, Mrs Ngubane’s son joined a savings group and over time, he purchased 4 taxis 🚐 .

Over her years of working in the community, Mrs Ngubane has witnessed real change and impact. But more than that, she has seen hope and dignity restored, and that’s why she continues to train other groups and to work to promote the value of saving and savings groups.

We are delighted to hear that, according to Mrs Ngubane, as long as she’s still alive, she will continue to spread the SaveAct methodology. 🌟

12/11/2025

Weaving Hope through Collaboration

From the 28th-30th October, SaveAct and our partners Biowatch SA Jabulani Rural Health Foundation Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region Siyakhula Sonke Trust Ubunye Foundation met to actively engage in our goal to scale the organisation to increase our reach and impact. 🌱

This was a particularly meaningful collaboration in the context of SaveAct’s 20th anniversary.

The three-day workshop, facilitated by the extraordinary 'Keeffe, was an interactive space to:

- Strategise towards scaling the organisation to reach 2 million women and youth by 2035. 📊 🚀
- Reflect on the 20-year journey 💬 🧭
- Share stories of change, hope, and empowerment 🏘️🪴
- Grow and develop the objectives and goals of individuals, partners, and the organisation 💡📚
- Build and develop relationships 🤝👩🏾‍🤝‍👩🏽

SaveAct is grateful for all of the support and advice provided by IYBA-SEED Project, and is a proud “weaver” dedicated to bringing about sustainable growth and development through collaboration.

Fellow Weavers — we’d love to hear what you are doing towards sustainable growth and development.

10/11/2025

SaveAct || Stories of Change

SaveAct and our partners Biowatch SA CHoiCe Trust, Jabulani Rural Health Foundation Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region Siyakhula Sonke Trust Ubunye Foundation, members of the board, and guests recently gathered to celebrate 20 years and share stories of change. 💬✨📖

As part of SaveAct's 20th anniversary celebration, we were privileged to be joined by Mrs Grace Mchunu from Mafakathini KZN. Mrs Mchunu joined a SaveAct savings group in 2016—she explained that she waited a year to join to make sure it wasn’t a scam because it seemed too good to be true 😂.

Mrs Mchunu found so much success through her savings group that she joined another group to expand her savings potential. Mrs Mchunu also said that although she was already a businesswoman, the Financial Education and Enterprise Development Training helped her to become more confident 📚💪🏽.

Mrs Mchunu has a successful events business and has partnered with other women to grow her business enterprises.

Mrs Mchunu is so committed to spreading knowledge that she’s built an area at her house to run workshops and training sessions. 🌟

Generally, we don’t share enough good news, and we’d love to hear from our Fellow IYBA SEED Weavers about their stories of change.

07/11/2025

Stronger Together || How SaveAct and IYBA-SEED Are Planting the Seeds of Opportunity

SaveAct and our partners Biowatch SA Choice Trust Jabulani Rural Health Foundation Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region Siyakhula Sonke Trust Ubunye Foundation are proud to have recently joined the IYBA-SEED Project initiative to help reach our goal of reaching 2 million vulnerable women and youth across South Africa by 2035 🌱.

The focus of this initiative is to create networks of “weavers” to empower women entrepreneurs across South Africa and the continent 🚀.

Through the Investing in Young Businesses in Africa, Supporting Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development (IYBA-SEED) initiative, Ecosystem Weavers, representatives from enterprise support organisations, and business networks work to grow small businesses and support women and youth.

Weaving ecosystems are designed to create networks that bring people together to collaborate and solve challenges 🤝.

As a weaver, SaveAct can play a pivotal role because of our specialisation in:
- Building savings-led community groups 💰🤲🏽
- Financial education 🏦 ✏️
- Enterprise development (especially among rural women and youth) 💼💪
- Building livelihood pathways for vulnerable groups in South Africa 🌾🛠️

We are grateful to be part of this initiative and work with others to:
- Strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems by building capacity and support for local “weavers”.
- Improve access to business development services—especially those focused on young people and women.
- Facilitate dialogue.
- Continue using the SaveAct methodology to empower women and youth to save and invest in sustainable businesses.

“If there is no silver bullet for rural development (and for rural financial-market development as an integral part of this), then savings-and-credit groups are about as close as one is going to get. We look forward to growing SaveAct and the impact of savings groups through this exciting initiative.” (Anton Krone, SaveAct Director)

We’d love to hear from other Weavers — how are you strengthening social capital through your work?

IYBA-SEED is funded by the European Union and the French, German, and Slovak governments, and implemented by five agencies: Expertise France, Enabel (Belgium), GIZ (Germany), SAIDC (Slovakia), and SNV (Netherlands). The initiative operates in Benin, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, and Togo, with activities in South Africa
focusing on five provinces: Gauteng, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mpumalanga.

04/11/2025