What is good advice? In this episode of "Know Your Ombud," host Maya Fisher-French interviews John Simpson, the FAIS Ombud, about how his office protects consumers when financial advice goes wrong – and what you need to know to protect yourself. Real-Life Cases Simpson shares several cases that illustrate how the FAIS Ombud holds financial advisers to a much higher standard. Advisers cannot assume a client understands the product, and any critical clauses or require specific action by the client...
Jul 10, 2025•28 min•Ep. 7
As we dive into July, many of us feel the familiar pang of anxiety that accompanies tax season. In our latest episode, we tackle the ins and outs of tax filing. Joined by tax expert Andre Bothma , we explore why tax can feel overwhelming and how to navigate the process with confidence. One of the key topics discussed is the concept of auto assessments introduced by SARS (South African Revenue Service). If you're employed and earning an income, you may receive an auto-assessment, a pre-filled tax...
Jul 09, 2025•31 min•Season 2Ep. 2
In this episode of "Know Your Ombud," we examine the complexities of long-term insurance and the common complaints the Ombud receives. Host Maya Fisher-French chats to Sonya Marais, Senior Adjudicator for the Life Insurance Division of the National Financial Ombud (NFO), about the intricacies of insurance claims, particularly focusing on the challenges surrounding non-payment of claims and non-disclosure. Sonya explains the distinction between advice-related issues and product failures, and how ...
Jul 03, 2025•20 min•Ep. 6
Welcome to the first episode of “Retirement Reimagined,” a series of conversations exploring the latest FNB Retirement Survey and what it reveals about the average South African’s preparedness and attitude towards retirement. In the first episode of our series, we investigate the findings of the 2024 FNB Retirement Survey with Samukelo Zwane: Product Head, FNB Wealth and Investments and Bheki Mkhize: CEO FNB Wealth and Investments. One of the standout findings from the survey is that approximate...
Jul 02, 2025•19 min•Ep. 1
In this episode of "Know Your Ombud," host Maya Fisher-French engages with Edite Teixeira-Mckinon, the lead Ombud for non-life insurance, to understand the intricacies of short-term insurance and the common complaints consumers face. This episode aims to empower listeners with essential knowledge about their rights and the processes involved in lodging complaints against insurers. Maya and Edite discuss the various types of insurance policies under the non-life umbrella, including motor vehicle,...
Jun 26, 2025•26 min•Ep. 5
In the first episode of the second season of the Santam Insure Your Future Money Bootcamp, hosts Mapalo Makhu and Maya Fisher-French explore the emotional aspects of money management. With a focus on financial trauma, they discuss how our upbringing and past experiences shape our relationship with money and the significance of understanding these emotions. How these emotions can either empower or hinder our financial decisions. Mapalo and Maya share personal anecdotes and real-life examples, ill...
Jun 26, 2025•22 min•Season 2Ep. 1
In this episode of "Know Your Ombud," host Maya Fisher-French speaks to Howard Gabriels, the head Ombud for credit, to unpack consumer rights when it comes to taking out credit. This episode aims to empower listeners by clarifying the roles of various Ombud schemes, including the National Financial Ombud, and the importance of lodging complaints against financial institutions. Maya and Howard delve into the types of complaints handled by the credit division, which encompasses a wide range of cre...
Jun 19, 2025•22 min•Ep. 4
In this episode of "Know Your Ombud," host Maya Fisher-French chats to Nerosha Maseti , the lead Ombud for banking services at the National Financial Ombud (NFO). This episode aims to empower consumers by shedding light on their rights and the processes involved in lodging complaints against financial institutions. Maya and Nerosha discuss the common grievances that consumers have with banks, particularly focusing on the importance of understanding when to escalate issues to the Ombud after atte...
Jun 12, 2025•23 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Know your Ombud is a series of conversations aimed at helping consumers of financial services understand their rights and where to go if they are not treated fairly. In this episode of "Know Your Ombud," host Maya Fisher-French sits down with Reana Steyn, the head Ombud and CEO of the amalgamated National Financial Ombud (NFO), to discuss the significant changes in the financial Ombud landscape following the establishment of the National Financial Ombud Scheme. Reana shares insights on how this ...
Jun 05, 2025•19 min•Ep. 2
Know your Ombud is a series of conversations aimed at helping consumers of financial services understand their rights and where to go if they are not treated fairly. The financial Ombud schemes include the National Financial Ombud, the FAIS Ombud, the JSE Ombud and the Pension Funds Adjudicator, which are all overseen by the Ombud Council. Lodging a complaint with an Ombud is free and you do not have to appoint a lawyer. In each episode, we speak to key persons from the ombud system to understan...
May 29, 2025•17 min•Ep. 1
In the latest episode of our podcast, host Maya Fisher French engages in an open and honest discussion about insurance, particularly focusing on long-term insurance and the often-overlooked area of employee benefits. Joined by certified financial planners Bryan Nicol and Johann Peens , the episode dives deep into the complexities of insurance coverage, highlighting the importance of understanding what you have vs what you actually need. Most people have some form of long-term insurance, even if ...
Apr 10, 2025•56 min
In this episode of "My Money, My Lifestyle," host Maya Fisher-French welcomes tax expert Andre Bothma to discuss the implications of recent tax proposals on personal finances as the new tax year begins. Maya and Andre explore the concept of fiscal drag, where taxpayers find themselves paying more due to the lack of inflation adjustments in tax tables. They clarify common misconceptions about salary increases and tax brackets, emphasizing that the tax implication of earning more should not stop y...
Mar 27, 2025•42 min
In this episode of "My Money, My Lifestyle," host Maya Fisher-French engages in a deep dive into the complexities of the national budget and its implications for taxpayers with Chris Axelson, the acting head of tax and financial sector policy at National Treasury. As the government navigates the contentious landscape of tax collection, Axelson sheds light on the recent adjustments to the budget, including a shift from an ambitious VAT increase to more modest measures aimed at generating 28 billi...
Mar 14, 2025•30 min
In this episode of "My Money, My Lifestyle," Maya Fisher-French has a thought-provoking discussion with financial expert Hugh Hacking of Momentum Corporate about the recent interest rate cuts and their implications for retirees and investors. With prime rates dropping from 11.75% to 11%, the conversation unpacks how these changes affect both life and living annuities. This episode explains how annuities work, how interest rates influence their pricing and attractiveness as well as the difference...
Mar 06, 2025•28 min
In this episode of "My Money, My Lifestyle," host Maya Fisher French interviews Adrian Hope-Bailie , founder of Fynbos Money , a new investment platform designed to simplify and reduce the costs of investing. Adrian shares his journey of creating a platform that addresses the common question: "Where do I start investing?" With countless unit trusts and investment options available, it is unsurprising that people feel overwhelmed by choice. The need to simplify choice and administration motivated...
Feb 20, 2025•35 min
In this episode of "My Money, My Lifestyle," host Maya Fisher French chats about side hustles with Willem Gous , author of " Side Hustle Success ." With nearly half of employed South Africans engaging in side businesses, the conversation explores practical strategies for starting a side hustle on a shoestring budget without significant risk. Maya and Willem discuss the importance of testing business ideas quickly, emphasizing that waiting for funding or a perfect plan can stall progress. Willem ...
Feb 06, 2025•42 min
Why are so many people who earn a good income, who would be considered high-net-worth individuals, struggling with debt? We all believe if we earned a bit more, our financial issues would disappear, yet this appears not to be the case. In this episode of "My Money, My Lifestyle," host Maya Fisher French is joined by certified financial planner Johan Werth to understand why so many high-net-worth individuals are struggling with debt. With debt levels rising faster among higher-income earners than...
Jan 23, 2025•34 min
To kickstart 2025 with financial wisdom Maya Fisher French sits down with Fulu Mashapha, author of "Mind Your Cents: A Practical Approach to Financial Freedom." Fulu wrote her book based on her experiences of money as a young child and as a graduate starting her career. In this podcast Fulu shares with Maya her journey from university to becoming a financially savvy actuary and her experiences of navigating the world of finance as a young professional. From understanding the diverse personalitie...
Jan 09, 2025•39 min
Join hosts Maya Fisher French and Mapalo Maku in this special episode as they reflect on the incredible journey of Santam staff members who participated in the six-month Santam Insure Your Future Money Bootcamp. This transformative experience culminated in a final event that celebrated the courageous individuals who opened up their financial lives to scrutiny, embraced change, and achieved remarkable personal growth. The episode shares the mentees' powerful testimonials about their newfound fina...
Dec 12, 2024•44 min
The Psychology of Financial Decisions In this episode of the "My Money, My Lifestyle" podcast, host Maya Fisher French chats to Rudolph Geldenhuys , the Financial Planner of the Year, about the psychology behind financial decision-making. They discuss the importance of understanding the 'why' behind one's financial actions. Rudolph, who has been in the financial services industry for over a decade, shares his journey of overcoming imposter syndrome and embracing his calling to help people make b...
Nov 29, 2024•38 min
Welcome to the Santam Insure Your Future Money Bootcamp with Maya Fisher-French and Mapalo Makhu. This series is designed to guide you through essential financial topics, helping you make informed decisions for a secure future. In our previous episodes we have spoken about building wealth, but what about succession and building intergenerational wealth? How do you protect your family but also transfer wealth to future generations? We are joined by Moremadi Mabule , a fiduciary expert, to explore...
Nov 14, 2024•39 min
This week Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced the Medium-Term Budget which is tabled every year in October. Most people only really care about the February budget because that is where the minister announces the changes to taxes. But the medium-term budget is packed with really important information about how government is going to be collecting and spending our money over the next three years. It also gives us some idea about what we can expect in February and whether taxpayers will be ...
Nov 01, 2024•29 min
Welcome to the Santam Insure Your Future Money Bootcamp with Maya Fisher-French and Mapalo Makhu. This series is designed to guide you through essential financial topics, helping you make informed decisions for a secure future. In this episode, we delve into the intricacies of retirement planning with Johann Steyn , a certified financial planner at Rainmaker Bluestar by Sanlam. As one approaches retirement, the need for strategic financial planning becomes critical – not only to understand your ...
Oct 31, 2024•35 min
Welcome to the Santam Insure your Future money boot camp with Maya Fisher-French and Mapalo Makhu. In the last two episodes we looked at saving and investing for those goals we want to achieve during our working years. But at some point, we want to kick back and retire, or at least have choices about whether we want to continue to work or not. One of the massive challenges of retirement funding is that we are living way past our retirement age. Some companies have a retirement age of 60 and give...
Oct 17, 2024•33 min
Welcome to the Santam Insure Your Future Money Bootcamp with Maya Fisher-French and Mapalo Makhu . This series is designed to guide you through essential financial topics, helping you make informed decisions for a secure future. Last episode we focused on saving for shorter-term goals, but what about those medium to longer-term goals like your child’s tertiary education in ten years or time, or leaving your child a legacy? Maybe you want to start your own business one day? How do you start? The ...
Oct 03, 2024•38 min
Welcome to the Santam Insure Your Future Money Bootcamp with Maya Fisher-French and Mapalo Makhu. This series is designed to guide you through essential financial topics, helping you make informed decisions for a secure future. In this episode we help listeners give up the debt dependency by having a savings plan. We look at why we save and what goals we should be saving towards. We also delve into the concept of an emergency fund—why it's essential and how to build it. Contrary to popular belie...
Sep 19, 2024•32 min
As we mark National Wills Week, there's no better time to address the importance of having a properly drafted will. In the latest episode of our podcast, Maya Fisher-French sits down with Deenisha Nadesan , Executive Director of Estates at Capital Legacy, to discuss the common pitfalls people encounter when drafting their wills and how to avoid them. This is not just a matter of legal formalities; it's about ensuring that your hard-earned assets are distributed according to your wishes, thus pre...
Sep 17, 2024•29 min
Welcome to Life Behind the Numbers, a Discovery Life podcast series where we delve into the trends driving insurance claims and explore how this data can help us improve health outcomes. In this episode of Life Behind the Numbers, host Maya Fisher-French speaks with Gareth Friedlander, Deputy Chief Executive of Discovery Life, and Daniel Stoch, Senior Manager of Market Analytics and R&D. They delve into Discovery Life's shared value insurance model, discussing how it benefits members by prom...
Sep 12, 2024•26 min
Welcome to the Santam Insure Your Future Money Bootcamp with Maya Fisher-French and Mapalo Makhu . This series is designed to guide you through essential financial topics, helping you make informed decisions for a secure future. In our last episode we spoke about life and risk cover – this is insurance that pays out if something goes wrong with our health or we pass away. But equally important is health insurance to help pay those medical bills. And it is not just about doctor visits but also if...
Sep 05, 2024•42 min
In this podcast discussion Old Mutual Chief economist Johann Els explains why he believes we could see the rand strengthen to R14/R15 to the USD. He explains how a softer US dollar, combined with better growth prospects in emerging economies, could lead to a stronger rand. This is particularly relevant for investors looking to balance their portfolios. Els discusses his overall economic outlook and the potential of economic growth. Given the current economic climate, Els suggests that local inve...
Aug 29, 2024•19 min
