Old Mutual On The Money
Old Mutual On The Money
A Double Dose of Financial Tips from the Cent-Twins
The “Cent-twins”, Innocent and Millicent, might look identical, but these entertaining entrepreneurs believe that their differences bring out the best in each other. Chatting with our Head of Financial Education, John Manyike, the twins reveal how they complement and inspire each other in life, work, and business while sharing a double dose of financial tips for you.
Thanks for listening! Interested in getting more financial education? Visit our website for free resources. You can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Old Mutual 00:00
Welcome to the On The Money Podcast with John Manyike.
John Manyike 00:04
Good afternoon.
Innocent Sadiki 00:06
Hello.
Millicent Mashile 00:06
Hello.
John Manyike 00:07
How are you doing?
Innocent Sadiki 00:08
We’re good.
Millicent Mashile 00:08
Good.
John Manyike 00:09
What do they call you when you look, when they look when you are like...?
Innocent Sadiki 00:12
A pair. I'm Innocent. This is Millicent. So, it's basically the last syllables of our name, the CENT. So, we’re the CENT twins.
John Manyike 00:19
Oh.
Innocent Sadiki 00:21
Innocent, Millicent.
John Manyike 00:22
Innocent, Millicent.
Innocent Sadiki 00:23
CENT twins.
John Manyike 00:24
So, if the other one decides to change the CENT to a Pound, then what's gonna happen?
Innocent Sadiki 00:28
[Laughs] Oh, no.
Millicent Mashile 00:29
Unless we change it to $1 maybe, I don’t know.
John Manyike 00:34
[Laughs]. Who changed the name? Was it you or was it Innocent?
Innocent Sadiki 00:37
No, never.
Millicent Mashile 00:38
It's just, you know, it's just followers just like giving nicknames there and there…
John Manyike 00:47
Tell me more about your upbringing. You know where you grew up? And, and, you know, just your family background?
Innocent Sadiki 00:52
Yes. So, we grew up in Mamelodi, it’s a township in Tshwane. We were raised by our grandparents, our grandmother and our grandfather. My grandmother is still alive, she's 88 this year.
John Manyike 01:03
What?
Innocent Sadiki 01:04
Which is amazing. Yeah, yeah. So, we were raised by them. Our mom passed away when we were four and our dad later on in life. I'm not sure when exactly because he didn't really raise us. We didn't have a close relationship. But yeah, basically, that's where we did our schooling and our primary and high school. And then we moved to Joburg when we were doing our tertiary.
John Manyike 01:26
So, how do people tell you apart? I think now after a couple of minutes, I'm starting to see the-
Innocent Sadiki 01:31
Yeah, you get it.
John Manyike 01:32
Yeah.
Millicent Mashile 01:33
Our personalities are quite different. I think the more we speak, people like “oh, okay, no, I see the personalities,”people use our rings to tell us apart.
Innocent Sadiki 01:42
A lot of people.
Millicent Mashile 01:42
And I think also we're normally the same weight like 80% of the year, and then 20% of the year... [laughs].
John Manyike 01:50
That’s the best thing you know.
Millicent Mashile 01:53
You know, between festive seasons and winter season.
John Manyike 01:56
So, tell me about the values you learned from your grandma?
Millicent Mashile 02:01
I think she really taught us value of hard work. And really just working towards everything that we want in life. We'd never got anything on a silver platter. You know, my grandmother, as much as she just wanted to hand out everything to us to just make our lives feel a little bit easier. She didn't you know, she taught us a lesson. And she's like, “guys, if you want to good life, and if you want nice things in life, you need to work hard for it.” And lessons of never giving up that life is not as easy as black and white. We literally never need to give up on anything, what dreams and anything.
Innocent Sadiki 02:33
So, respect and humility as well. So, you know, everything that I guess we achieve in life, we've just always remained humble. We've just always been very kind to people. And that, that comes from my grandmother. We never feel like we were too high or you know, too important for other people. She's just always very respectful or we hope [laugh]. But yeah, so I really appreciate all of those values, yeah.
John Manyike 02:55
So, grandmas are known to be very strict, especially... [laughs] you know.
Innocent Sadiki 03:01
Oh yeah, 100%.
John Manyike 03:04
So, how did the money thing work with grandma?
Innocent Sadiki 03:07
Very interesting for my grandmother, I think she was an entrepreneur at heart. She was a teacher for many years. My grandfather was a principal, he also owned his own school. But after she went on pension, my grandmother started a business selling ama-ice block, I don’t know what to call it.
John Manyike 03:23
Ice block, is there any other name?
Innocent Sadiki 03:37
She would sell those for like, 50 cents there at the time. And she would literally like give us like a very strict budget of how much we have for the week. So, she was very strict, you would not get a Rand extra from what was budgeted for you. So, it was like, “this is what you have use it responsibly was make sure by the end of the week, you still get to school.” So, you wouldn't go back and say, every cent encountered but also I think that diligence of the business and making sure that there's always product ready at home.” I was like, “What is it with this?” It was like this is like getting you guys described like, I hate doing this thing and the concept to be precise, like the measurement that happened, how you tie it and how long it freezes. I was like, “Oh, but yeah, I really appreciate those small things. And those are some of the values I think I teach my kids when it comes to money to say that doesn't come easy”. You know, there's a responsibility that has to come with that.
John Manyike 04:21
It sounds like your grandmother was one person, she wanted to do everything with precision.
Millicent Mashile 04:27
Oh, yeah.
John Manyike 04:27
And this thing about budgeting influence how you do your budgeting in your life now that you are older.
Innocent Sadiki 04:38
Yeah, absolutely, she runs the finances in our lives. We have a business together but she runs the finances. In fact, I was just remind her like, “girl, don't forget to pay my salary.”
Millicent Mashile 04:46
She doesn't even have to remind me, she knows it's gonna be done. But I think those lessons do definitely come from my upbringing and really understanding money and the value of money. For us just being an entrepreneur, seeing how money comes in, and money comes out and yet there needs to be a profit. And then on top of the profit, there's still money that you need to grow from the profits, so that you can have more money next month. So, those values, I mean, for me, it's like, “okay, don’t use all your money, save some of it, some of it, invest it, you know, and some of it use it to grow it like month to month, and then there's long term”, we're working with 50 cents, basically. But just like, you see from this 50 cents, I need to get stuck. And it can be lost, because we must have a profit. And from the profit, you must have a portion to save from that. So although it is just coins then, now that we will not pay of course.
Innocent Sadiki 05:34
Today, she literally runs our entire business, everything within the business is taken care of. And it's never done late. It's always done precisely, correctly. Like I don't get involved, because it's just like, their numbers are not that amazing. But she does a very good job. Sometimes we do get it, you know, just the discipline of finances really got us where we are, I think as young black entrepreneurs.
John Manyike 05:56
So, you’re twins, you are born on the same day, but clearly, definitely without a doubt somebody is the eldest. So, who gets the double portion here?
Millicent Mashile 06:05
[Laughs] Nobody gets it.
Innocent Sadiki 06:05
No one.
Millicent Mashile 06:08
She's older, but you know what? When it comes to finances, I'm older [laughs]. Other things, she can take the oldest seat. And then I'm fine with that.
John Manyike 06:19
Let’s just take an example, you know, when you are more or less same age, in your case, I mean, everything same, same.
Millicent Mashile 06:25
Yeah.
John Manyike 06:26
When grandma dishes up, obviously, the potions of dishing…
Millicent Mashile 06:34
No, I don’t wanna know. It’s actually going to be embarrassing. A whole five minutes.
Innocent Sadiki 06:41
Because I’m trying to equalize the plates to make sure that there's no differences. I mean, it's a thing.
Millicent Mashile 06:46
That meat was a problem.
Innocent Sadiki 06:46
The meat was a problem. I know she's got identical twins, it's a problem even with them. You can't give the other one a wing, and the other one a thigh. “No”. So, that's always been an issue with us. But I think, you know, when you grow older, you realize those things don't really matter. But when you were younger, they do.
Millicent Mashile 07:06
They do matter.
John Manyike 07:08
You're twins, but each one of you know that you have your own destiny. How did you start discovering yourself, to say actually, this is my talent? I mean, you're doing more or less similar things. But of course, somebody would be more on something else than the other, you know. Talk to me about your destiny or your aspirations and how you're getting there. How you discovered that?
Innocent Sadiki 07:30
Yeah, so we've always known that we wanted to be in the entertainment industry, from a very young age, we used to write our own scripts.
John Manyike 07:37
So, you had a mirror.
Innocent Sadiki 07:38
Yeah, no, we have a very good image. It was actually my mom's mirror. So, most of our shows, were actually you know, born from that mirror, we used to look at ourselves and just go on and on and on and on. So, from a young age, we knew what we wanted to do. We wanted to be in the entertainment industry. And so we went on to go and study television, both of us did, but when we're older to answer your question, “yes, we, we, I realized that my strong points are more in acting, and hers are more in presenting.” So, currently, she's a presenter on the channel she works on. And I'm an actor on the channel that I work on. Although, together in our business, we sort of like do everything we do production, you know. So, that's basically we landed up where we wanted to land up.
Millicent Mashile 08:17
It’s similar but not the same.
Innocent Sadiki 08:17
It’s similar but not the same.
Millicent Mashile 08:18
But I think also the differences for us, we celebrate them, it was so nice to see her venturing in something. She loves more, though, in the same industry. And I think even on social media, people follow us for different reasons. She's more of like, more spiritual, I guess, content and whatever and people follow her for that. And then we have a page together where people just follow us because we are twins, and because they love us together. But we are so different at the same time. And I'm glad that you know, we were able to find those differences and you celebrate them. And, yeah, and everybody just embraces that, I guess, yeah.
John Manyike 08:53
So, what were some of your toughest financial moments growing up, knowing that you don't have a mother and you don't have a father and you’re raised by grandma?
Innocent Sadiki 09:01
I think going to tertiary, it was hard. I won't lie. I remember when I went for my first qualification, it was for my diploma and there was just no fun.
John Manyike 09:11
I’m sure she was praying.
Innocent Sadiki 09:12
Oh yeah, oh yeah, she's ready because she was like, “you’re gonna get this degree.” And I was like, “okay”. And so, we went there, but the funds weren't available. I remember she tried to go get a loan and she couldn't qualify for the loan. She was already a bit older, you know, so that we tried to get one of our uncle to get a student loan and that was very thought because I believe I'm an academic, you know, I love education. I love studying and so that moment for me like was horrible. Eventually, we manage to get a loan from, from my uncle. But from that moment on, I told myself, I never ever want to suffer that way to get education to be empowered, to be able to get something that I'm so passionate about. And that I know is going to have a great impact to my future and my destiny. So, I remember for my degree, and for my honors, and for my masters, I took myself to school, while I was working, while I was studying, while I had a family, it has been end case. I did it myself, because I didn't want to go through that suffering. I don't want to go through that insecurity of not knowing that someone, a principal, or a finance person is going to walk in the classroom and say, “oh, can we see you for a moment? You know, can you, can I see you in my office?” You know, you have no page, you can't come to school, that was really, really hard for me. And I think you'll share your own story.
Millicent Mashile 10:19
It's a very similar experience. I think, for me, it was worse because I was doing my final year. And they just hit me with the statements like, “oh, you can't write your exams, because your fees are not paid.” And I remember quitting my grandmother, like girl have to make a plan, come through. And we literally went to all the bands when we got declined everywhere. You know, and I literally had to drop out, go and work. After a couple of years, go back to school and pay for myself. And when I actually went back for my first year, I was 27. Our journeys are different, our path is different. I think we had made peace, “our journey is not going to be as easy as other people.” I think financially, my grandmother managed to take us to a very good school, primary school and high school, but adversity trades are extreme. It's not like…
Innocent Sadiki 11:02
You did it with two people, not just one child [laughs].
Millicent Mashile 11:07
Yeah, there are two of them. And there's accommodation, and there's textbooks and there’s this. So it's not just that 7000 you're paying a month. Now, it's 30,000 Rand that you need. So, you know, that was hectic. I think that was our toughest financial years, you know, trying to maneuver through university.
John Manyike 11:22
I would imagine for twins, when we talk about peer pressure, it's probably more pronounced when it comes to twins, because you're used to…
Innocent Sadiki 11:31
Doing things together.
John Manyike 11:31
Doing things together. Everything must be equal. How did you navigate that way? The other one gets married? The other one maybe, I'm sure you didn't get married on the same day, did you?
Millicent Mashile 11:40
No [laughs].
Innocent Sadiki 11:41
No, you wanted though. Get married on the same year.
Millicent Mashile 11:45
That was the best you could do.
Innocent Sadiki 11:50
Peer pressure, it was there. But it was not from us. It was from other people. We love to celebrate one another, her win is my win and vice versa. But the pressure is too much. We still have, to date, I don't know why people think and feel our progress should be the same. Because it will never be two different individuals who have two different journeys and paths in life. However, it was hard. I remember when I got married. It was a few months, but I remember on the day of her lobola, I cried the other whole day, I was just like, who would celebrate someone coming to fetch your sister, like what kind of people are these? I didn't take it well at all.
John Manyike 12:32
So, here's the thing, talking about again, being twins. I mean, you would wear the same clothes, everything same, same and same. But then again, you discover in life, there's a danger in coping. What was the experience like? Especially when we talk about finances and the progress that each one is making financially and all that, you know, so, how did you navigate that? Because surely now…
Innocent Sadiki 12:55
We're surely navigating it now. Yeah, how we’re navigating it now. My sister just bought a car two weeks ago, three weeks ago. I'm telling you every day, people ask me when you get a car. Like, why? It’s the weirdest thing.
Millicent Mashile 13:08
You need to buy a car, why does she need to buy a car? Like it's, it's a weird thing. But, you know, it's like, it's a normal thing for us. Like if I do something on the left, she might do it on the right. And it means that when we're at school, I think for us besides externally for us at school, our teacher had to separate us even in the class because we were so used to being together that we've gotten into, I don't know what to call it into a mood or a rhythm of doing things the exact same way, would answer the same question at the same time. I would write one right until they split us. And it was a big mess. It was just like what? You know, and I realized, oh my goodness, I'm actually so bad at math. I was just copying everything she's doing. And she's realizing I was actually so bad in English.
Innocent Sadiki 13:52
I was bad in everything.
Millicent Mashile 13:54
You know, so we realize, oh my goodness, actually being individuals can really help us. You know, we learned we had to be individuals because that didn’t work.
Innocent Sadiki 14:00
Absolutely. Especially now again that we older because we have to make those big financial decisions like buying houses, buying cars, buying property, investing money, so it's different even now. We bought our houses at different years, different times, different prices, you know, so we realized that financially, you know, especially with kids and family, we're not the same. So, we always had to, we, I can't copy what she's doing. I can't get the same fridge. I got, I got the same stove [laughs]. I couldn't tell my husband, I was just like, I really, really want this stove.
John Manyike 14:34
It sounds like maybe 5%.
Innocent Sadiki 14:37
Oh, yeah. I mean, if I feel like it's gonna benefit me.
Millicent Mashile 14:42
We influence each other a lot in our daily lives. If I'm really convinced this is the best stove, this is the best fridge, it's over, she's gonna get it. Like, even if she gets it in different colors. So, it doesn't seem like we’re copying each other. But yeah, we have a very big influence on each other.
John Manyike 14:57
You see, this is where maybe a lot of people in general tend to end up having financial difficulty or getting into much. Because I'm trying to copy from somebody else. What do you think is a danger of copying?
Innocent Sadiki 15:11
I think also not being content with what you have. I think contentment is very important. And also, you have to respect money. I respect money, because I never ever want to feel like I’m unable to live my life to its best capacity because of finances. I respect it. And so I always set my boundaries, I plan for everything. And so people just need to understand what they have and work with what they have. If you have 10 Rands, respect that, that's what you have, and live according to that and make means that are fit for that 10 Rand. That's very important. And I think also just being a twin and having those pressures for us, I have to understand “sister, I can't do it.” Actually, we're planning on buying cars at the same time, I'll be honest, we actually depend on buying the same car. But I remember we had a conversation. Do you remember, sisi?
Millicent Mashile 16:01
Yes.
Innocent Sadiki 16:01
I said, “sisi, honestly, I just can't afford it, it makes sense, or is going to, and I say I calculated everything we literally calculated everything. I said, “sister, like this is not going to be a lifetime, it's going to be fun when I'm on the road.” But it's not going to be fun when I get back home, it's just the finances just they aren't adding up. And that's a beautiful place to be in. I think that takes financial maturity. First of all, I didn't have a deposit, she did. Second of all, “you can afford it, I can’t”.
Millicent Mashile 16:28
I think also the danger by copying is that you're copying something like a finished product, like you're copying something that you tend to be seeing, but you're not copying the work aspect of it. So, you can try and copy what people have. And you try and keep up with everybody else. But you're not keeping up with them with actually the income, not their spending. So, you find yourself in a lot of debts. And you depressed, you've got loans left, right and centre. You've got credit cards left, right and centre, and things that you actually can't afford. And meanwhile, the person who actually copied is living their life, they still can't afford to travel, they can still afford to pay for their house, they can still you know can afford to upgrade. So, I think that's a danger. But you know, I know when you're looking at things, it's nice from the outside, like I actually want this and this and this and this is between once they’re on five jobs as well, if you want them five cars, you know, so it comes with the hard work, you can't just want the final results and not care how they manage to afford everything that they have.
John Manyike 17:23
How would you advise young people how to manage envy? You know, the secret competition, which happens especially with people who are friends and things like that? Yeah, sisters, you are so close. And there's no issue that there's no unhealthy competition. How would you advise young people if you don't manage envy, you're gonna get into financial difficulties?
Innocent Sadiki 17:45
Yeah. Well, I think it's very important to know your purpose. I feel like a lot of people have got envy. They follow on other people's journeys, not theirs. So, if you focused on your own purpose in your own journey, it's very difficult for you to intrude or get involved in other people's business. So, focus, what is it that you've been born for? What is it that you've been called to do? Where are you going to be in the next 5 years or in the next 10 years? What are your goals, so if your goals are set in place, and if you are so determined to achieve those goals, I doubt you have any extra time to really try and envy other people. So, you need to be clear about who you are, you need to be clear about where you want to end up and land up. You shouldn't envy people, let people be an inspiration, let people influence you towards the right direction, instead of you envying them, let them mentor you, you know, let them guide you let them show you resources for you to get there. So, envy is not the way to go. It's also not the quickest route to get things that you want. Instead, it's going to delay you because you want what someone else has and you’re not willing to put in the work. If you're willing to put in the work and you're willing to put in the hours, get the right people, get the right resources, get education, educate yourself and get the right support. Like I said, mentors I strongly believe in that because I believe is knowledge and power that lies there, and you can't know it all, but there are people in place to help you move forward in life.
John Manyike 19:12
Anything you'd like to add?
Millicent Mashile 19:13
I think just envy is just the trap. Honestly, it just causes a lot of unnecessary hate. A lot of unnecessary competition, because you're literally competing with people that are probably not competing with you. You're going to ruin relationships, and you're going to lose a lot of opportunities because of envy. It's just a bad vibe. It's just like a negative vibe. But it happens. I think it's easier said than done, you know, to just find your purpose be content with what you have, work hard, you know, unfortunately, and this is not even like about a 2000, whatever, even grown adults has envy. You know, it's a real thing. You all be a group of married adults, and you happen, and there's envy. It's just like, you don't, why can't I have what she has? It’s just a rivalry and competing and hate and bad vibes, yeah, now.
John Manyike 20:00
Can you imagine gogo having another's gogo's also?
Innocent Sadiki 20:04
Oh, my goodness. [Laughs] No, it’s real. It’s a real story.
Millicent Mashile 20:13
No, like, recently, she wanted a certain walker. And we had a walker then a better one with the wheels. But no, she wanted a specific one which another old person uses. And she says that and that's like downgrade for much like that. I want that.
Innocent Sadiki 20:33
So, we literally had to buy for her.
Millicent Mashile 20:36
She believes it’s better. She believes it will help her. She should try to explain, she says it’s the height, it’s the color. We’re like, “okay, okay, cool, cool.”
Innocent Sadiki 20:48
But [laughs], it's real. I mean, it might not be the teeth, but it definitely something related to that. So, even at that age, they have real struggles, yeah.
John Manyike 20:56
So, you guys are both married?
Millicent Mashile 20:59
Yes.
Innocent Sadiki 20:59
Yes.
John Manyike 21:00
And, you know, once you marry someone, obviously, you know, once you become one, you start having an identity as a family in terms of how you handle things and the money thing. So, how does the money thing work in your marriage? And how does the money thing work in your marriage?
Innocent Sadiki 21:16
Very differently.
Millicent Mashile 21:18
So differently. And I think it took experience for us to see that. So, in my family, your money works very differently. I think firstly…
John Manyike 21:26
You keep circling there.
Millicent Mashile 21:28
Yeah, no, it was very differently. Like, okay, so my husband, he draws up a budget every month, and I decided that he will take on like the bigger expenses. I'll take on smallest expenses.
John Manyike 21:41
What happened to equal?
Millicent Mashile 21:43
You know what, I tried it. I realize it's just not me [laughs].
Innocent Sadiki 21:50
Well, I don't have a choice. In my family, we are equal, so all expenses are divided equally. Yeah, 100%. So, there's no big expensive, small expense. See, that's why I don't have a car.
John Manyike 22:08
Look, I think she was smart to say you take the bigger things, and you went with 50-50.
Innocent Sadiki 22:13
And I was okay with that. That's what I wanted. I don't feel like my husband has to pay for everything when I'm there. And when I'm able to afford it as well. So, for me, I'm not good. How much is this? How much is a bond? We split it. How much of the cost? How much is insurance? How much is this? We split it equally.
Millicent Mashile 22:29
Ad it works for them.
Innocent Sadiki 22:29
And it works for us.
Millicent Mashile 22:30
But I don't think it will work for me.
Innocent Sadiki 22:31
In her household, no, her husband take care of almost everything.
Millicent Mashile 22:38
No, it’s not like that. It's probably like 70-30. Like, but also there's ways of making up for that. Like for me, like, with time, I'm more available to make sure things happen in the house with, you know, managing the kids like he’s very busy and active kids who are doing everything from sports, to swimming to everything like I need to manage the life, he's less available. So, when you're less available, you must bring home money.
John Manyike 23:04
You must compensate with something.
Millicent Mashile 23:05
Yes. Because when you are away from home, you have to be making money. So, if I'm more available, it means I've had less time to make money. So, then we just had to see, like whose better in managing things on the ground, and away and then it just worked. But I know every single household works differently. And I'm happy with the fact that at least we found a balance and that works. And if I find in financial income difference in the next two years, maybe my adjust it. If maybe, you know, I like 10 times more than him, I might just feel sorry for him. But I think I'm just very traditional in that. When I got married, I just, you know, maybe even my husband is also traditional, even he felt like I'm the man, I need to do everything. And I also came in with that thing like I'm the one. I think if he if we could he would take care of 100% of the expenses. But I'm just very independent as well. I love working hard and you know I want my kids to see me working to see me making money and to also teach them how to make money. And our kids actually working kids.
Innocent Sadiki 24:06
Our kids are working. All our kids have salaries because all of them are influencers. So, they all have bank accounts. They all get money for every work that they do, they're very money savvy and very money conscious. So, every campaign that they do, they will ask you how much am I making from this campaign? How much have you transferred into my account? How much do I have now? Did I gain any interest from the account? Yes or no? And the youngest baby, or we co-parents our kids, then we have five kids in total.
John Manyike 24:38
Oh, five?
Innocent Sadiki 24:38
Yes, in total. So, the youngest one is the one who's got the most money which is quite...
Millicent Mashile 24:44
No, I think she was born just at the right time. I think he's just born when we figured out how this whole thing works. But they know like on Friday and said like, Can I use my car? I need to buy take takeaways on this day or It's my friend's birthday I need to buy Kiss Me I'm still trying to teach them the value of money because at this point they actually like Father Christmas. They can buy everybody everything. Like, if someone says I don’t have this. I can buy you, I can buy it. And I’m like, “No, wait, wait, and wait, not yet. It's like the money grow, the money because they've like, “but I have the money, what's wrong?” So I teach them, “no, no, no the money that you have some of it we save, some of it we invest, some of it you can use on a daily basis.” And I think those lessons you know, are very, very important for us.
Innocent Sadiki 25:24
I think they understand it now.
Millicent Mashile 25:26
They’re getting it or close to getting it.
John Manyike 25:29
How far do you live from each other?
Millicent Mashile 25:31
15 minutes.
Innocent Sadiki 25:32
No, not so far. It used to be far. It used to be very far. I don't know why we have bought a house so far. But now I recently just bought a new house.
Millicent Mashile 25:40
So, we’re 15 minutes apart.
Innocent Sadiki 25:40
We’re 15 minutes apart.
Millicent Mashile 25:42
But ideally, what we would have liked is to have houses next each other.
Innocent Sadiki 25:47
Why do you get it? Why can’t our husbands get it? That was so easy to get it. We're gonna work together. And we help each other with our kids. Like I said, we co-parent our kids. So, between the four of us, everyone's responsible for each child. So, the further we are apart from one another, it cost us more.
Millicent Mashile 26:08
It’s an unnecessary expense.
John Manyike 26:11
So, if somebody has been between the two of you said, I had an opportunity in Cape Town. What would you do?
Millicent Mashile 26:17
I’m moving into her house for the duration.
Innocent Sadiki 26:24
No, 100%.
Millicent Mashile 26:26
I was just like, “please, just have a big enough house”.
Innocent Sadiki 26:27
That’s a different discussion [laughs].
John Manyike 26:30
I don’t think you’re rich.
Innocent Sadiki 26:33
With the dynamics of our families and our husbands, it's just a lot..
Millicent Mashile 26:37
We’re trying to save them, but they don't see the value yet.
Innocent Sadiki 26:42
Even for our wedding, because we're like, we're gonna invite the same guests twice.
Millicent Mashile 26:47
One wedding.
Innocent Sadiki 27:56
It’s not economical. Let’s have one wedding. No, obviously, [Foreign Language 00:28:02 – 00:28:04].
Millicent Mashile 26:57
Let's embrace the differences in one room. Listen, we had two weddings with the same guests. Can you imagine the cost?
John Manyike 27:04
I think you're onto something, you know, you would've saved a lot of money. But then again, it comes back to the issue of readiness.
Millicent Mashile 27:11
Yeah, exactly.
Innocent Sadiki 27:13
Absolutely.
John Manyike 27:15
I guess it would have been cheaper though?
Innocent Sadiki 27:16
Absolutely.
Millicent Mashile 27:17
A lot.
Innocent Sadiki 27:19
Yeah, very, very.
John Manyike 27:20
You celebrate anniversaries?
Millicent Mashile 27:21
I don't anymore.
Innocent Sadiki 27:23
Yeah, I don’t know why. I do, 100%.
Millicent Mashile 27:25
Yeah, she does and I'm like yeah, I'm happy for you and just let you go. But for me, I think I've got things now that I prefer maybe to celebrate, like to spend money on because I need groceries are quite expensive. We must have one international trip here and one local trip here and that's me and then my sister doesn't really prioritize traveling she just thinks it's too expensive. So, but she will then prioritize your anniversaries and go out. No, not that you don't, I mean, now-
Innocent Sadiki 27:51
Now I do. And it influenced me.
Millicent Mashile 27:53
I've managed too. Listen, girl you need to get out of something, you know, like, you got to treat the rent for something so that you can you know, live differently. So, yeah, I think yeah, as I grow, I just have value other things more and celebrates, yeah, definitely.
John Manyike 28:08
If your bank account called you, what would it say?
Innocent Sadiki 29:24
I think my bank account will say to me, you are so healthy, doing well. Keep going. Push harder, work harder. But you are very healthy and you're on the right track.
Millicent Mashile 28:23
Yeah. I think mine would say, “girl, you are so busy [laughs]. You are keeping us awake day and night, transacting online, stay away from the mall.” No, I think, yeah, I think it will say that. I will say you know what, we love the healthy habits. We love it so we can see that you are trying and that you know you doing better month by month.
Innocent Sadiki 28:49
You’re a work in progress.
Millicent Mashile 28:49
You’re a work in progress, you know, you're not too bad. You’re not too bad, yeah.
John Manyike 28:52
What would you say to wives? And when I say wives, I'm not trying to do the gender thing, I'm just talking because you are wives.
Innocent Sadiki 29:01
Yes.
John Manyike 29:01
When it comes to the money thing, what is the one single advice you give to wives in terms of how they need to support their partner, you know, regarding the money issue in the family?
Innocent Sadiki 29:14
Wow, I would say wives should empower themselves. I see a lot of wives, I guess some of my peers who are not empowered and money does become a problem. And it also is the root of so many other problems in relationships, or marriages, or whatever people want to call it. So, and I feel like a lot of women who are empowered and who are able to get things themselves and not necessarily have to ask from a male counterpart, and vice versa with a male counterpart, asking the female counterpart, it's usually easier. So, I'm very grateful. That's one thing I would I would didn't change about my life. I love the fact that I'm independent. I love the fact that I'm able to take care of myself. And so that's very important. So women must just or wives or mothers, empower yourself because in that you can empower your children as well. I remember when I make the decision also with my kids, I said to my husband, I want to take them to a private school, it was not a question. It was like, I want to because I know I can financially too. I'm taking that decision, because it's an empowered decision. But I was never going to be able to do that if someone was going to give me a yes or no, or maybe. So, empowerment as a wife also gives you freedom, also gives you freedom of expression and a voice you know, so that's very important, I would say that to young wives 100%.
Millicent Mashile 30:29
Yeah, I think I would very, very similar to that, like, make your own money. Firstly, make your own money, know that you are able to afford your own life. And then your husband can make his own money and make more money, great bonus, you know, but also learn to save, save up money. And when people get married, some people have like joint accounts, and you save together, you know how much this one ends and but have that little secret emergency account.
Innocent Sadiki 30:58
Yeah, you told me that.
Millicent Mashile 31:00
So, nobody knows nothing about.
John Manyike 31:02
Okay.
Millicent Mashile 31:02
I have, I have saved my husband many times, because I have saved money he doesn't know about. Because if you knew about it, you would have used this when we're stuck on the highway. You’ll say, “give me all that money. Give me 1000 to full tank”, you know, but it saved us during emergencies. It's just being wise with money, always just, yeah, make money and have that secret account. You have the one with the wife and husband to save together. But that emergency one, it is going to save you on those rainy days.
John Manyike 31:34
Between the two of you, who is the strongest in managing finances?
Innocent Sadiki 31:37
This one.
Millicent Mashile 31:38
I don't think so, I don't know why she says that.
Innocent Sadiki 31:40
Amazing, sisi, what do you mean?
Millicent Mashile 31:42
I don't think so.
Innocent Sadiki 31:43
You’re such a responsible spender, and you handle money, like master won't give you a cent from your account. If I was running that business account, I don't know where our business would be, but she's got the discipline. She's got the right, I don't know, morals for treating money. And now I respect money because of her. So, sisi, you're on the right track, stop looking down on yourself, we're where we are because of you. I can tell you, our finances are right. We pay our taxes ourselves, whatever, on time, she'll never miss it. Our salaries are in on time. Things are just done. Like, you'll never get to the office if there's no Wi-Fi because someone didn't pay for it. Things are done on time. She keeps all invoices.
Millicent Mashile 32:26
I'm glad you think so.
Innocent Sadiki 32:27
All statements, all receipts are in bag now.
Millicent Mashile 32:29
And I guess, I like a certain that works. I don't like a system that's all over the place. And I believe finances need a lot of discipline. And once you have like a system that works, it really makes things easier. And you can check stuff. I don't like feeling like I don't know where the 200 Rand, wait, like I need to know where everything went. And you can be accountable for and that gives me peace.
John Manyike 32:52
Wow.
Innocent Sadiki 32:53
And you give me peace too.
John Manyike 32:54
Wow, no, that's the shalom.
Innocent Sadiki 32:56
Yes.
John Manyike 32:57
Well, Innocent and Millicent, thank you so much. You've been wonderful guests. And trust me, a lot of people will learn from what you said. So, thank you so much for honoring us, and…
Innocent Sadiki 33:09
Thank you so much for having us.
Millicent Mashile 33:10
It was so fun.
Innocent Sadiki 33:11
You're an amazing host too. Thank you.
John Manyike 33:13
Thank you so much.
Old Mutual 33:14
Old Mutual. Do great things every day. Old Mutual Life Assurance Company SA Limited is a licensed FSP and life insurer.