IVA Online School marked International Savings Day by highlighting how virtual businesses, everyday choices and purposeful saving can help children become confident money managers.
A tempting purchase. A limited budget. A decision to spend now or save for something bigger. These everyday moments formed the foundation of IVA Online School’s message for International Savings Day on 31 October.
The school encouraged families to make financial literacy part of everyday life, highlighting how teaching children to save could help them understand what their choices made possible.
Joanne Lindeque, Head of Senior Primary at IVA Online School, explained that saving was about creating choices and opportunities, while still allowing children to enjoy their money.
Big ideas meet real business decisions
At IVA, financial learning took an exciting turn inside the Isle of IVA, the school’s virtual 3D campus.
Its Young Entrepreneurs’ Day gave Grade 6 students the opportunity to develop businesses and sell products and services to students in Grades 3 to 6. Offerings ranged from e-sports coaching and digital recipes to arcade-style games and customised backgrounds for online team setups.
Preparation included “Shark Tank”-style sessions, during which students pitched ideas, received constructive feedback and refined their offerings. Guest speaker Dr Diane Boorman also encouraged students to approach entrepreneurship by identifying problems and creating solutions that people valued.
The virtual expo brought those ideas to life through avatars, business booths and digital currency. Students developed business names and logos, prepared price lists, marketed their offerings and explained why customers should buy.
Then came a valuable reality check: booth rental costs.
Students had to consider whether their sales covered their expenses, discovering that money coming in did not automatically mean profit. Younger customers practised deciding how to use the currency available to them.
“The objective is not to teach every child to become an entrepreneur. It is to help every child become a more capable decision-maker,” said Lindeque.
A savings goal gave patience a purpose
Lindeque encouraged parents to connect saving to something their child genuinely wanted to achieve.
She suggested breaking a R300 goal into R30 saved each week over ten weeks. A chart, jar or digital tracker could make progress visible and give children a reason to pause before spending.
Everyday shopping offered further opportunities to compare prices, discuss needs and wants, and consider alternatives. A waiting period before a non-essential purchase could help children decide whether they still wanted an item once the initial excitement had faded.
“The amount of money is less important than the thinking behind the decision,” she said.
Financial learning went beyond pocket money
Acknowledging the different resources and priorities of South African families, Lindeque emphasised that regular pocket money was not a requirement for meaningful financial learning.
She explained that children could help plan a shopping list, identify ways to reduce waste or explore a hypothetical budget. Asking how they would organise a celebration with R100 offered an opportunity to practise planning without spending anything.
Parents were encouraged to explain financial boundaries calmly, while keeping responsibility for household finances firmly with adults.
Digital spending became a teaching opportunity
Digital payments provided another opportunity to make money lessons practical. Lindeque encouraged parents to explain the cost of an online purchase, show how a subscription added up over a year or help children track a pretend digital balance.
These conversations could make spending more visible and encourage thoughtful decisions about online shopping and in-game purchases.
IVA’s International Savings Day message centred on three achievable actions: choosing one realistic savings goal, turning an everyday purchase into a learning opportunity and starting a regular, judgement-free money conversation.
The occasion reinforced the value of starting small. Each opportunity to plan, question and reflect gave children practical experience they could carry into future financial decisions.
