Motshelo Savings Account

Free funeral cover of P2,000 each for 10 nominated members. Check. Free cheque book. Check. Free SMS alert notifications. Check. Attractive interest rate for a better return on savings. Check. Monthly interest paid into the account. Check. Free cash and cheque deposits. Check. All these and many more comes with the award winning Motshelo Savings Account offered by Barclays Bank Botswana.

Motshelo Savings account was introduced in September 2012 to cater for unbanked market of traditional group savers. Though metshelo groups have been around for many years, this group of thousands of youths, elderly, underserved and more affluent Batswana did not have access to bank services. As a way of promoting financial inclusion, Barclays bank offered this service after they observed that the reports of security, lack of accountability, missing funds and lack of reconciliation within metshelo groups were on the rise.

Not only does Motshelo Savings account offer funds security and accountability but it also fosters the spirit of social relations (Kutlwano) and cooperation where members come together to pool funds towards common goal with the intention to grow interest

Metshelo groups have long been used as vehicles to pool money for common goals amongst the members and as such, any goal that requires funds to undertake can be saved for.

Importance of Saving

It is usually hard to save individually due to unforeseen spending, but most people find it more beneficial to save as a group.

• The money is there when you need it – it offers easy access to your money.
• Your  money works for you – the more you save the more interest for your savings you are likely to get.
• The main objective of metshelo is to save towards common goal which can include major life-changing goals such as weddings, building a house and paying for your children’s school fees.

Requirement to open the Barclays Motshelo Savings Account

Most people are usually not optimistic about opening bank accounts because of their requirements but Barclays has simplified the process of opening the Motshelo Savings Account. It only requires P500 opening and operating balance, minimum of at three members, Omang or passports of two signatories and proof of residence The group does not have to have a formal constitution.

The benefits of starting a motshelo group are countless but saving the funds in a savings account will ensure that the benefits are maximised as it offers both protection and accountability for the funds and that is why opening Barclays Motshelo Savings account is a smart step for every motshelo group that wants to safeguard their vision and wants to see their goal for farther.

To know more about your savings options at Barclays, visit the official site here.

5 MONEY MANAGEMENT TIPS FOR EVERYDAY LIFE

5 Money Management Tips for Everyday Life

12 Ways Stay-at-home Mothers (or Anyone) can Make Money at Home

It is no joke that raising children is expensive more especially the first year of their lives and as such any extra income is welcomed. With so many scammers offering business opportunities that promise individuals chances to become millionaires or even billionaires overnight it is often frustrating for stay-at-home mothers who want legitimate ways to earn extra income for their household.

Some legitimate opportunities require an individual to part ways with more money in order to join their network ‘parties’. Below are some of the ways stay-at-home mothers can utilise their skills to make extra income at the comfort of their homes.

Continental Free Trade Area - Building the Next Africa

The African continent has a combined population of more than one (1) billion people in its fifty-four (54) countries and its combined gross domestic product (GDP) is more than USD 1.2 trillion, however, the continent records low continental trade which stands at a total of 14% according to United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.  The low intra-Africa trade still remains a pressing issue for the development of the continent and that is why the African Union, in its twenty-fifth Summit held in South Africa in June 2015, has made it its main objective to tackle this problem by pushing forward the creation of a continental free trade area (CFTA) by 2017.

Through its objectives, CFTA intends to improve and boost trade across the continent by creating a single continental market for goods and services and to expand the intra-African trade by improving harmonisation and coordination of trade liberalisation.

Brief Overview of CFTA in Intra-African Trade Monetary Value and Prospect

In their computable general equilibrium (CGE) analysis, Cheong, Jansen and Peters estimate that compared with the baseline, the regional FTAs will stimulate the intra-African trade by 35.7 per cent (or $23.6 billion) and the CFTA will increase the trade by 52.3 per cent (or $34.6 billion) in 2022 and therefore increasing exchange within the continent in all main sectors: industrial sector will rise by 53.3 per cent, agricultural and food products trade by 53.1 per cent and the service trade will increase by 31.9 per cent. The CFTA also has the potential to decrease the imports from outside the continent by USD 10 billion.

Learning to Let go of Your Failures

How many times have you beaten yourself up for having failed a task or not achieving your set goal?

How many times have you been stuck in a one place after failure?

The world that we live in nowadays can be unforgiving, merciless, intolerant and harsh towards any mistake one makes. It will actually remind you, without failure, of all your mistakes you have ever made - even the minor ones. From our childhood, we are taught to measure ourselves, abilities and talents against that of others. Our brains have been programmed to focus more on our failures than our victories – our conquests are short-lived. The society judges an individual based on those failures:

• A bad breakup will mean that I’m a bad person;
• A failed business venture means I do not have what it takes to make it in the industry;
• Bankruptcy means it is the end of me, that whatever is left of my life is doomed;
• A rebellious child means I failed the child as a parent;
• An outburst when still working on your anger issues means I will never be a better person.

A United and Prosperous Africa (As Long As...)

A united and prosperous Africa will remain a dream as long as its leaders drive their personal agendas ahead of the interests of its people. 

• As long as one country estimates that it is superior to others. 
• As long as there are countries that wear the pity blanket and consider themselves inferior to others. As long as corruption and fraud rule the day. 
• As long as the colour of one’s skin determines the treatment they get from their fellow Africans. 
• As long as there are people born into the ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ bloodline – Africans are of one bloodline. 
• As long as country borderlines are not to regulate or limit the movement of people but are used as tools to block African Makwerekwere (foreigners) to enter certain well-off countries. 
• As long as African countrymen steal from the Continent. 
• As long as the doors are opened for opportunists to grab the Continent’s natural resources and leave its natives destitute.