To close out October, Nedbank hosted The Money Roast, using laughter to start the difficult conversations about money that South Africans often avoid.
By putting the country’s relationship with money in the hot seat, the event created a relatable space to examine the emotions, social pressures and learned behaviours that shape how people earn, spend, save, borrow and support others.
Money was the subject, humour was the method
South Africans talk about money every day – from the cost of living, salaries and interest rates to school fees, debt, the cost of groceries and the petrol price. Yet, the relationship beneath these conversations is rarely explored: how money makes us feel and why we behave the way we do with it.
“The Money Roast was designed to bring the hidden dynamics of our money behaviours into the open in a way South Africans can relate to,” says Khensani Nobanda, Group Chief Marketing Officer at Nedbank.
“Money is part of our everyday conversation, but the feelings and behaviours behind it often remain unspoken. Humour has made it easier for people to recognise themselves in the conversation. When we can laugh at the habits and pressures that shape our money choices, we can begin talking about them more honestly.”
The event took the form of a genuine comedy roast, led by a toastmaster and featuring a panel of popular South African personalities – Mojak Lehoko, Cassidy “Constantia Mom” Nicholson, Gugulethu Mfuphi, Khensi Nobanda, Vafa Naraghi and Celeste Ntuli – who highlighted familiar money behaviours.
The guest of honour was not a person, but South Africa’s relationship with money. This format allowed uncomfortable truths about financial anxiety, family obligations and social expectations to surface using candour and humour.
Home truths about South Africans’ relationship with money
Laughter opened the way for a deeper discussion grounded in Nedbank’s Money Relationships Report. Drawing on the 2025 NedFinHealth Monitor, the report explores both the financial progress working South Africans are making and the emotions that continue to complicate their financial lives.
Although 46% of the respondents feel financially better off than they did a year ago, money remains the biggest source of stress for 51%, while 37% still find it embarrassing to ask for financial help.
The report also shows that practical habits matter: 71% of the respondents have a monthly household budget, and budgeters are more likely than non-budgeters to spend less than they earn and experience lower levels of financial stress.
The conversation also reflected the realities of earning and sharing money in South Africa. One in four respondents (24%) said that financially helping others is a source of money stress, up from 16% in 2023, while 41% pointed to borrowing money from family or friends as their most common form of debt.
These findings reinforced the event’s central message: financial well-being is shaped not only by income and knowledge, but also by relationships, expectations and emotion.
“The Money Roast was about making the invisible visible,” says Nobanda. “The Money Relationships Report gives people the insight and language to understand what drives their financial behaviour, while the event showed that these conversations do not have to begin with judgement. They can begin with recognition, honesty and even laughter, and lead to practical action.”
Improve your relationship with money
Nedbank’s Money Relationships campaign encourages South Africans to rethink the habits and mindsets that influence their financial wellbeing and discover what’s possible when you take control. Explore the campaign and see how you can improve your relationship with money.
Website: personal.nedbank.co.za
Tel: 080 055 5111
Instagram: @nedbank
Facebook: @Nedbank
