Stokvels – How They Can Make Your Money Work For You by Palesa Lengolo

The South African economy has a secret weapon: stokvels. If harnessed correctly, investments in stokvels could significantly bolster the economy. The following statistics, provided by the National Stokvel Association of South Africa, are mind-blowing: at present there are 11.4 million South Africans who are members of stokvels; around R44 billion is pooled collectively by ordinary people in stokvels; and it is saved by 820 000 stokvels. A lot of ideas have been put forward on how these monies can be utilised by stokvels, but it is not really clear how these can be practically applied.