Nedbank clients donate over R100-million to worthy causes, without spending a cent.

Over the past two decades, Nedbank clients have effectively donated more than R100-million to a range of worthy causes through their loyal support of the bank’s Affinity Programmes - the highly successful social investment initiative through which Nedbank contributes to charitable organisations on behalf of its clients.

The Nedbank Affinities programme was first established with the launch of the Green Affinity in 1990. Since then, the range of causes supported via the Nedbank Affinities has grown to include the environment, the arts, sports and children, all of which have collectively benefited to the tune of over R100-million thanks to Nedbank clients who have signed up for Affinity-linked banking products, thereby supporting causes that are close to their heart simply by doing their day-to-day banking.

According to Maseda Ratshikuni, Head of Cause Marketing for Nedbank Group, the success of the Nedbank Affinities programme over the past two decades is the direct result of shared values between Nedbank and its clients. ‘The programme was first started back in 1990 as a result of Nedbank’s realisation that our clients want to be helping those less fortunate than themselves, or contributing towards protecting the environment, but often people don’t have the time or means to be actively involved themselves,’ Rathikuni explains, ‘so we launched the Nedbank Affinities to make it possible forpeople to show they care simply by conducting their daily banking transactions.’

Through the Affinity programme, clients of Nedbank are able to take up a transactional banking product - such as a current account or credit card - that is linked to the Nedbank Children's Affinity, Green Affinity, Sport Affinity or Arts Affinity. In doing so, they are effectively authorising Nedbank to contribute towards organisations doing work in the community, environment sports development or arts upliftment arenas every time they make use of that product, and it doesn’t cost them a cent.

‘We are proud of the success achieved by the Nedbank Affinities and we salute the many thousands of Nedbank clients who have taken the time and made the effort to join one or more of these affinities,’ Ratshikuni emphasises, ‘by doing so, they have not only become a part of a significant social investment success story, but also shown what is in their hearts, while demonstrating just what a difference South Africans can make in the lives of others when we work together to Make Things Happen.’