Absa believes that Your Story Matters. That’s why the bank looks beyond bank balances and credit scores, to the stories told and untold, because that’s where real opportunity lives.
Here, Absa client Brandon shares his story, revealing how the bank made it possible for him and his wife Mbali to secure the extra finances needed to prepare for their next big adventure: having twins.
I met Mbali when we were in grade 10 and straightaway I was like, “I like you!” By grade 12, we were serious and my friends used to say to me, “Brandon, bro, you’ve got it bad!” We didn’t want to get married straight out of school. We both wanted a good education and we wanted to get settled into steady jobs before we took that step. Mbali wanted to study law and I wanted to go for a BCom. We knew it would take commitment, but we also knew we’d have each other for support.
It wasn’t easy, I can tell you! There were many times when we wanted to go out and party with friends, but we couldn’t because we were busy with assignments or preparing for exams. And we made a point of going home on Sundays, either to see her family or mine. You’ve got to have a break, you know — and we knew we’d always get a good plate for lunch!
Getting started in life
When we finally graduated, we knew our hard work had finally paid off. We’re the first ones in our families to get degrees, so, once we qualified, we had a big party to make up for all those parties we missed while we were studying! Then the search was on for the right jobs and that took time. But, by June of that year, we were both settled in great jobs and we decided to get married in December. At last!
Three years down the line, we’ve managed to buy a new car and, last year, we even bought our very own home. It was like a dream come true! But things are about to change.
We’ve decided to start a family and, eish, it turns out we’re having twins! We both just laughed when we found out, and we knew at once that we were going to need a whole lot of baby stuff. I mean, we’re going to need two cots, two car seats, two highchairs, a double pram and piles of baby clothes. It’s way more than we’d planned for.
Absa to the rescue
We realised we were going to need a bit of a financial boost, so we went onto the Absa website to check out our options.
Absa offers a personalised interest rate based on what you earn and what you can afford to pay monthly. It isn’t one-size-fits-all — it’s made to fit you. How cool is that?
We found a whole section on personal loans for people like us who need a little extra when their lives are about to change. There’s even an online calculator we could use to work out what our instalments would be, depending on the size of the loan and how long we wanted to take to pay it back — talk about hassle-free banking! Absa offers a personalised interest rate based on what you earn and what you can afford to pay monthly. It isn’t one-size-fits-all — it’s made to fit you. How cool is that?
So, we used the online pre-screening tool to check whether we’d qualify for a loan and we did, so we decided to apply straight away. We logged on to our Absa Banking App and did the quick and seamless application — all within minutes! Even if you’re not already a customer, you can apply for a personal loan on their website. Absa makes it so easy!
Preparing for the big day
Now that we have the financing we need, we’re shopping around for all the stuff we’re going to need for when the twins arrive. We even have enough money to turn our spare room into a nursery. We want everything to be right for the big day when we become a family. And if we need to give the house a fresh coat of paint or add on an extra room in the future, we know just who to talk to!
In the meantime, Mbali can’t quite make up her mind about what colour to choose for the babies’ room. We have a feeling it’s going to be a boy and a girl, so we’re not only talking colours, we’re talking about names. We’re thinking Bayanda/Bandile for a boy and Ziyanda/Buhle for a girl, but we’re still not sure.
What we are sure of, is that they’ll have everything they need for a great start in life and a cosy new room to call their own. Absa made it possible for us.
To find out more about Absa Personal Loans*, visit the Absa website, call 0860 100 372 to speak to a consultant or pop in at your nearest Absa branch.
This article was sponsored by Absa.
*Ts & Cs apply. Absa is an Authorised FSP and a registered credit provider (NCRCP7), loans are subject to credit and affordability assessments.
