Digify Africa and Satrix host Digital Financial Literacy Roundtable to Unlock Access through WhatsApp Innovation
As part of Money Smart Week 2025 under the national theme “Smart Money: Financial Foundations for a Resilient Future”, Digify Africa, in partnership with leading index-tracking investment products and exchange traded funds (ETFs) provider Satrix, hosted a high-impact Digital Financial Literacy Roundtable earlier this month. The conversation brought together influential leaders across the financial and digital education sectors to explore how digital tools can drive real financial empowerment at scale, particularly through WhatsApp.
The roundtable, under the theme “From Awareness to Action: Digital Tools for Financial Empowerment”, spotlighted the innovation and collaboration behind the Lesedi WhatsApp Bot – a mobile learning solution co-developed by Digify Africa and Satrix to democratize access to financial education and investment products for South African youth and underserved communities.
A Powerful Line-Up of Thought Leaders
The roundtable featured a dynamic panel of industry experts including:
- Fikile Mbhokota, CEO, Satrix
- Nicola Comninos, Group Chief Investment and Risk Officer, EasyEquities
- Karabo Baloyi, Digital Consumer Education Coordinator, FSCA
- Adele Hattingh Business Development & ETP Manager, JSE
- Anitta Banjwa, Content Manager, Digify Africa
The conversation was expertly moderated by global speaker and founder of TNC Wealth Partners, Samke Mhlongo, anchoring an exchange that unpacked pressing questions around access, scale, trust, and innovation in digital financial literacy.
Reimagining Access through WhatsApp
With smartphones increasingly becoming the first and only digital touchpoint for millions of South Africans, the Lesedi Bot provides a low-data, mobile-first learning solution delivered entirely on WhatsApp. The users can explore topics like budgeting, saving, investing, avoiding scams, and protecting their money – all via engaging, chat-based content designed for accessibility and simplicity.
“This partnership is about more than content,” said Anitta Banjwa, Content Manager at Digify Africa. “It’s about meeting people where they are, in a format they trust, and building real financial confidence one message at a time.”
Insights, Innovation, and Impact
From regulatory perspectives to platform innovations, the roundtable conversation revealed key opportunities for the private sector, public agencies, and social enterprises to work collaboratively in making financial education more inclusive, youth-centric, and behaviourally effective.
“Satrix is passionate about democratising investments through financial education and providing low-cost access to investing. Our partnership with Digify Africa allows us to deliver upon our vision for financial inclusion.” Fikile Mbhokota, CEO at Satrix says. “The collaboration has made our ambitions to reach underrepresented communities that much easier.”
The full roundtable video will premiere on the Digify Africa YouTube Channel from 25 August 2025.
