Business and employee financial wellness in South Africa: Time for collective action
November 14, 2008
Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand
INVITATION
The German development agency, GTZ and the National Credit Regulator (NCR) cordially invite you to
a Seminar on Financial Wellness, the third in a series of learning meetings organized as part of the
GTZ-BMW SA partnership on employee financial wellness. This year’s theme is entitled,
Business and employee financial wellness in South Africa: Time for collective action
The Seminar is intended to bring South African businesses together with other key stakeholders with a
view to:
a) Highlight the current dilemmas concerning employee/personal financial over-indebtedness in South
Africa and explore the role of business as an employer and as a marketer; and
b) Deliberate on the possibilities for business to engage in collective action to ensure a state of
“financial wellness” at the work place and in society.
The Seminar is expected to afford participants with a “learning” opportunity but as well a “consultative”
platform. To this end, the main goal of the Seminar is to encourage participants to revisit business’s
role in ensuring a state of personal financial wellness both at the work place (for its own employees)
and within society in which it operates.
One of the highlights of the meeting will be the presentation and discussion of the findings of a study
conducted by the University of Pretoria (commissioned by GTZ) entitled the incidence of and the
undesirable practices relating to garnishee orders in South Africa. Furthermore, there will be breakaway sessions, which will offer participants to join a case-study learning forum of their choice and share
experiences on how some companies in South Africa are addressing the issue of employee/personal
financial over-indebtedness.
The success of this meeting will depend highly on your active participation. Therefore, kindly mark your
calendar and join us for an exciting half day!
Date: November 14, 2008
Venue: Gallagher Convention Centre, Richards Drive, Midrand
Time: We start at 8:30 and finish at 13:15 with lunch
Please direct your RSVP before November 7, 2008 to Mr. Girum Bahri
Tel.: 012 423 6340
E-mail: ccps.bahri@gtz.de
On behalf of the organizing team,
Girum Bahri,
GTZ Centre for Cooperation with the Private Sector- PPP
For further information on the GTZ-BMW SA partnership or on the Financial Wellness Forum (FWF),
please visit: http://www.financialwellness.org.za/
1
PROGRAMME
Time
Activity
Responsible Person
8:30-9:00
Registration and Finger Food
9:00-9:15
Welcoming & introducing the objectives of the meeting
09:15-9:45
PLENARY SESSIONS
Session Format: 20 min. of presentation & 10. min discussion
State of financial over-indebtedness in SA: Experiences from
the National Credit Act; What role for government? What is
expected of the private sector?
09:45-10:15
The incidence of and the undesirable practices relating to
garnishee orders in SA (A University of Pretoria Study)
10:15-10:30
Tea break and networking
Master of ceremonies & Mrs.
Doris Popp, GTZ CCPS
Gabriel Davel, CEO, National
Credit Regulator
Mr. Frans Haupt, Director,
University of Pretoria Law
Clinic
PARALLEL BREAK-AWAY SESSIONS
10:30-12:00
10:30: 12:00
(1) Policy dialogue: Irregularities on garnishee orders in SAImplications and way forward
Session objective: This is a working group discussion (of
experts/stakeholders identified by the NCR). The group will
examine the implications of the findings of the UP garnishee
orders study; propose suggestions for amending the NCA; and
make an input to the draft guidelines for employers on
administering garnishee orders; and chart-out the way forward
Session format: 15 min .each presentation on suggested
amendments to the NCA and draft guidelines for employers +
60 min. Q&A and discussion to streamline/finalise drafts
(2) Learning forum: Employee Financial Wellness- Some
experiences from corporate South Africa
Session objective: To share company-experiences on
employee financial wellness issues and work-place
programmes based on case studies from BMW SA, Ernst &
Young, Liberty Life Insurance, Life Healthcare and SAB Miller
Session format: 20 min. presentation by case author/resource
person + 70 min. open discussion facilitated by moderators
Moderator:
Ms. Marlene Heymans
Presentation on amendments
to NCA: Mr. Frans Haupt
Presentation on draft
guidelines: Ms. Leoni Kok
Respective moderators (to be
assigned)
WAY FORWARD
12:00-12:20
Feedback from policy dialogue working group (10 min. each)
12:20:13:00
Open discussion: Participants chart a ‘roadmap’ for business
collective action and on how to sustain the FWF
13:00-13:10
Closing remarks
13:15
Lunch
Mr. Frans Haupt & Ms. Leoni
Kok
Moderator (to be assigned)
Master of ceremonies
For further information on the GTZ-BMW SA partnership or on the Financial Wellness Forum (FWF),
please visit: http://www.financialwellness.org.za/
2