Windhoek
African proverbs took centre stage through Sanlam’s Wealth of Wisdom campaign launched on Monday at the Warehouse Theatre. The event, first launched for Sanlam employees, was well received with quite high emotions and excitement.
Sanlam Group chief executive officer Tertius Stears shared his sentiments on insurance: “What we do at Sanlam speaks to the heart – it’s an emotional business that takes care and provides in time of need. Sanlam has decided to remind the public that insurance is not a ‘want’ but a ‘need’. If not for you at least grant it for your loved ones that you may leave behind one day,” he said.
The event allowed Sanlam staff to view a 15-minute performance by professional local actors reciting the well-known folktale “Why Guinea Fowl Calls at Dawn”. The story illustrates that life can sometimes be very unpredictable and how important it is to always be prepared for any unfortunate events. This is one of many plays that will be performed during Sanlam’s road shows, kicking off in Katima Mulilo on August 20 at the Zambezi Shopping Centre. Sanlam’s road shows will continue until October 28, ending at the Namport Erongo Expo.
At these events children will be given an opportunity to engage with Sanlam and have an understanding about the importance of saving and insurance at a young age through a fun way, meanwhile allowing parents and adults to be reminded of this necessity.
Sanlam general manager for public and corporate support, Evans Simataa, placed the insurance market into perspective and the daily challenges incurred especially by the low-income groups. He further illustrated factors that stop them from having any sort of insurance. “A lot of research went into analysing and understanding the living conditions of the market before we embarked on this specific campaign, to give an understanding of why many Namibians still do not have any form of insurance. Our average Namibian has been brought up in a household to provide for the next – a typical household could include up to 5 members. Many Namibians earn less than N$1 000 per month. This salary should still provide for children, grandchildren and many more. So we understand the challenges that many face. However, we also know that there’s no better way to provide for your children or grandchildren by making the sacrifice today, to ensure a better future for them especially if you will no longer be there one day. That’s why we would also like to remind everyone that we at Sanlam respect every dollar and cent earned to make it go a long way.”
The Sanlam marketing team intends to start with the basics and bring the Wealth of Wisdom back home. Wealth of Wisdom has incorporated many local Namibians and has heavily featured the demographics tailor-made to Namibian surroundings. It has further tied in well-known African proverbs that share a wealth of wisdom to remind those to start preparing today for a secured future.