Yegs Ramiah, CEO of Sanlam Brand, says, "The global trend is for wearable tech to solve real-world problems. In South Africa, this problem is the country’s poor savings culture. 'Mna Nam' helps people prepare for a healthy financial future by making saving fashionable. The purpose-led accessory offers a one-of-a-kind campaign to shift the realm of fashion into a space for responsible saving – as opposed to excessive spending."
Matt Ross, King James Group executive creative director, adds, "In Africa, we have our own set of challenges and we’re known for re-engineering technological tools to solve them. Wearable tech is very expensive and out of the reach of most – but not if you innovate on an existing platform. So, we took a widely used virtual payment app, WeChat, and flipped its primary purpose of easy spending into easy saving. Then we coupled this with an object of real beauty to be worn on the wrist, created by the country’s most forward-thinking designer, to make saving top-of-mind and aspirational. This is what leads to habit – a want to save."
"I’ve just completed my master’s in material futures – a course which blurs the lines between design, science, and tech. In the future, designers will most probably be scientists – people who perceive opportunities for real impact innovations that make people’s lives better. A design has to make sense and solve a problem to become iconic," says Ngxokolo.
Ramiah concludes, "'Mna Nam' presents a beautiful, stylish solution that contributes towards improving South Africa’s poor savings culture. At Sanlam, we want to equip people with the tools and knowledge necessary to save for a better tomorrow. 'Mna Nam' is an action-driven, forward-thinking campaign that’s more than just fashion."
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