Financial planning is such a crucial conversation to have and one that is highly beneficial. BONA Magazine was given the opportunity to spend the day with the Momentum team to learn about what it actually means to fully understand the concept of Financial Freedom.
This Freedom Month, on Friday, 25 April 2025, the elegant Four Seasons Hotel at The Westcliff in Johannesburg hosted a curated brunch where financial independence took centre stage.
An exclusive event that promised a space where freedom is redefined through honest, empowering conversations about money, mindset, and success, led by none other than the ever-articulate journalist, broadcaster, and corporate executive, Dan Moyane.
With a lineup of esteemed speakers present at the event, guests could expect deep insights and real talk tailored to their goals. The panel discussion featured Prof. Carel van Aardt from the Bureau of Market Research; Hannes van den Berg, CEO of Consult and the executive head of Momentum Advice; Therese Grobler, Head of Wealth Management at Momentum Financial Planning; and Public Relations Conversationist Mamello Mosate.
From economic trends to personal financial planning, their perspectives shed light on what true financial empowerment means today, rewriting the narrative of what success and freedom look like for South Africans in 2025.
We spoke to Mamello Mosate on how we can foster more open conversations about money at home, where in some households, money is a sensitive topic to pick up whether it’s about not being able to borrow that one cousin R500 because you have your own financial goals, saying no could easily cause a rift between you and them or perhaps you want to have a sit down with your parents about these financial goals that you have for yourself. So, how do we approach this?
Mamello puts it very simply, sharing that you can start by being honest and open with yourself. Be willing to acknowledge the need for boundaries. Once you recognise that, seek support from a professional to guide you through the process. This could help you have these hard conversations with any individual.
We also took a moment to find out from Therese Grobler how Momentum Advice approaches culturally nuanced financial goals, She highlighted that the most important aspect is to cater for the individual, whatever the individual requires in their circumstances. “We have to contextualise that and make sure that we plan around that. So, we also provide a deeply unique business financial plan.”
We also asked about the common mistakes people make when planning for long-term financial success, according to Therese, “Financial coaching involves dealing with people’s emotions and when times of turbulence, often we go through very difficult circumstances, and you’re committed to use the money you’ve saved and use it for anything other than your goals. But in reality, if you do this instead or switch because of your fear factors, you might distract from reaching those objectives that you’ve been building on.”
She also highlighted that when taking emotional intelligence into consideration as it plays huge role in financial planning, “It’s really crucial for advisors to go back to their financial advice philosophy and ensure that the client fully understands the objectives, the view of risk, and they summarise and work with the client to make sure that they stay on track.”
Ntokozo Madonsela, Group Chief Marketing Officer at Momentum Metropolitan, offered a few takeaways from the discussions held, such as the myths about financial literacy, assuming those who are poor or are from disadvantaged communities lack the necessary knowledge about financial success. “We need to shift this definition because it is not accurate,” Ntokozo encourages individuals.
Also see: Unlock your path to wealth with tailored financial guidance
