Old Mutual On The Money
Old Mutual On The Money
Banyana-Banyana star Andile Dlamini on sidestepping peer pressure and staying financially responsible
As our national team’s goalkeeper, Andile Dlamini is known for making big saves on the field, but she’s just as focused when it comes to saving for the future and being financially savvy off it.
In this episode of On the Money, she joins Old Mutual’s Group Head of Financial Education, John Manyike, to talk about resisting the pressure to live a flashy lifestyle, avoiding the trap of spending to impress others, and why taking ownership of your financial future matters more than keeping up appearances.
Whether it’s splurging on one too many nights out or saying yes when you should say no, Andile reminds us that true friendship can’t be bought, and that protecting your financial goals takes discipline, confidence and the courage to put your future first.
Thanks for listening! Interested in getting more financial education? Visit our website for free resources. You can follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
JOHN MANYIKE[00:05]:
Welcome to Old Mutuals’ On The Money show. Today we are talking to a national goalkeeper and I'm interested in knowing about, as she saves the team from conceding goals, is there another type of saving that she knows but we'll hear from her. Andile, how are you doing?
ANDILE DLAMINI [00:26]:
I'm good and yourself?
JOHN MANYIKE [00:28] :
I'm, well, I'm well. You know it's quite interesting which out of all potential positions, out of a team of 11, you chose to be a goalkeeper.
ANDILE DLAMINI [00:38] :
I didn’t choose to be a goalkeeper.
JOHN MANYIKE[00:41]:
What happened?
ANDILE DLAMINI [00:41]:
So I my my lead coach Brian Dube actually converted me from a striker to a goalkeeper.
JOHN MANYIKE[00:48]:
Imagine from striker to goalkeeper? Was that a promotion or what?
ANDILE DLAMINI [00:52]:
So I'll just, I'd say it's a promotion because I was a success, I'm, I'm a success rather. So from a striker, I, I used to miss a lot of goals. Yeah, but I used to bang important ones.
JOHN MANYIKE[01:13]:
So but most of them you were missing them. How did you kick them?
ANDILE DLAMINI [01:31]:
I would miss and then coach said he was punishing me but what he was actually doing was placing me into a position suited for me.
JOHN MANYIKE[01:33]:
Ok, let's talk about you’re your, your background and upbringing. You’re from Tembisa right?
ANDILE DLAMINI [01:38]:
I’m from South Africa.
JOHN MANYIKE[01:44]:
Where is Thembisa? In Zambia or Zim?
ANDILE DLAMINI [01:45]:
So I represent a lot of Townships. That’s why I say I’m from South Africa.
JOHN MANYIKE[01:51]:
Which areas have you stayed in?
ANDILE DLAMINI [01:41]:
Bushbuckridge, Thembisa, Soweto, Winterfeld, now Midrand
JOHN MANYIKE[01:51]:
Ok, so where you playing soccer growing up or how did you develop this level for soccer?
ANDILE DLAMINI [02:05]:
So I had a lot of guy friends from the age of 6 years old we played cars but with bricks.
JOHN MANYIKE[02:22]:
With bricks? Not made out of wire? OK.
ANDILE DLAMINI [02:29]:
Yeah. And then when they played soccer, I used to go but watch them play. And then I, I joined them and we started playing and I fell in love I think that's how I fell in love. I don't remember quite well but also my uncles played a huge part in instilling that soccer is your thing, by just making me play games with them. Umm, yeah. And then I, I, I fell in love with women's football when I was, uh, 12 years old. I started playing with the girls, but Lefa Hlongwane is professional or ex professional soccer player or he's still a professional soccer player. Uh, took me to a girls team, I started playing then and then after a year or so I went to Mamelodi Sundowns, I started playing for my Mamelodi Sundowns as a striker, converted to goalkeeper called after four months that I was converted to goalkeeper to the under seventeens. Then they couldn't take me to the World Cup because I was turning 17 that year.
JOHN MANYIKE[03:39]:
Your ID let you down, but you did well, you were honest.
ANDILE DLAMINI [03:39]:
No, I don’t go by soccer ages, you tire out from that and then I went to Banyana after two months joined the under 17’s and yeah, my career and then onwards became what it is. But I think I fell in love with football at a very young age in Thembisa.
JOHN MANYIKE [04:02]:
What were your career highlights at the national level?
ANDILE DLAMINI [04:05]:
Career highlights, I think winning the AFCON, That is the best achievements because, I believe in gold. I believe when I say I win, I need, I need to have something to show. So winning AFCON I, I, can't compare it with any other but just winning AFCON and being in the national teams that, also is an honour. So all the time when I'm called up that for me is a trophy.
JOHN MANYIKE [04:38]:
Ok, but you know, at the young age, where you started developing the love for playing football, did you imagine that one day you could be a national goalkeeper?
ANDILE DLAMINI [04:05]:
Not a national goalkeeper. Yeah. Not a national goalkeeper but a national striker. I imagined myself as Amanda Dlamini, because of the passion that she had on the field of play, but eventually when, so when I started becoming a goalkeeper, I then found role models. My coach was forcing me to actually Google role model and I started Googling Banyana-Banyana goalkeepers, uh, and the male goalkeepers, I found Itumeleng Khune and I just loved how he carried himself at the very young age at that time he would pass the goal posts when he saved a ball. So I still respect, respect him even now. He has actually been a role model to me he, he gave me my first professional gloves, like pro gloves. And from then onwards that encouraged me to train every day because I wanted to be like him. I wanted a sponsor, I wanted a whole lot of things. I don't come from a well off family so the only thing I, I, wanted was Ok, I need to become a success. I need to become a success because I need to change my my, my situation. So for you to change your situation, you need to actually work harder so that you can be seen by brands and work with brands. So I think that for me was on my mind all the time.
JOHN MANYIKE [06:26]:
yeah. Did you have a pillar of support, uh, family wise?
ANDILE DLAMINI [06:27]:
Yeah, my mother. My mother is everything to me. I think she played a huge role in the person that I am today and, and the person that I, I know that I'm still going to become. It's because of her. She's a prayer warrior. She is very, uh, focused and, and my mom is a listener, yeah she accepts me for who I am and she, you know, when your parent is comfortable with the, with you, it's easy for you to express yourself. It's easy for you to actually go out there and not be intimidated by anything and anyone. So I think she played a huge role in in making sure that I'm who I am.
JOHN MANYIKE [07:11]:
Yeah. So you've mentioned something earlier about not, you know, coming from a humble background and things like that. What were some of your financial struggles growing up?
ANDILE DLAMINI [07:24]:
And so my mom struggled a lot with our school fees and, but then she gave me a responsibility. She gave me a responsibility because she could like she got paid every week. So when she got paid every weekend, it was a small amount of money, 500 Rand a week, and it's the four of us, so it meant R100 per child and herself, you know, but she actually made sure that Andile goes to Marlborough Gardens and she has to finish school and then there's Lerato, Themba, Bonginkhosi that also needs to go to school. So Andile, here’s some money, you, you have to put it aside, you know, so that you make sure that we eat, so that, and when she returned from work she was tired and I was the eldest. Being the eldest I had to make sure that for the week the money would last. And at that time food wasn’t that expensive, yeah. So I, I think that on its own helped me, Andile to know how to actually divide my money.
JOHN MANYIKE [08:32]:
Budget… So you, you, were exposed to budgeting at a very young age from what you're saying. So, so I mean, what other key financial lessons did you learn from your mother? I mean, one, she gave you a responsibility and say, here's the money you need to make sure that this household runs properly. And what other financial lessons did you learn from your mum?
ANDILE DLAMINI [08:52]:
Seize the opportunity so that you can actually have comfortable life. Yeah. Firstly, I made sure that I put my work across so that people can actually relate with me, especially I use my social media platforms in a very smart and strategic way. So I've worked with a lot of brands, but because I'm female so money doesn't come the same way the guys do. So one, I saved up - when I saved up, I bought land for my for my parents because my mum didn’t have her own house so I bought land in Winterfeld for my mother and then I saved, continued saving, saving up because the amount that I bought land actually, I used all the money for it and I had to start afresh, then I saved up for, uh, building that house that I just bought a wendy house and then we went to the World Cup. I think when we went to the World Cup, a lot of people thought we were gonna get lots of money. Yeah, like one point, something million, because the FIFA Woman's World Cup said we we getting 1.3 million and it didn't come like that. Theres tax were taxed by. That million was text by Australian uh, the I’ll say SARS from there, and South African revenue services. Yeah, so I had to take that money. Remember, I believe in comfort. Comfort when, when, when you build and you, you create comfort, and for you to be financially secure, your family needs to be Ok first. Your family needs to be Ok so that they don't bother you, you see? With things like we don’t have this and we don’t have that because when when they do that, then you can't be able to put at least a little bit of money aside. So I did that. I built the house, which still needs to be furnished fully. I'm saving up towards that right now and yeah, I put myself in land that I still need to build.
JOHN MANYIKE [11:06]:
So now you are the eldest, and you’re starting to earn money, and you bought land and started building a house for your mom and then you also bought land for yourself. So clearly you had your own personal financial needs. Did you at any given point feel a bit of pressure maybe, that you also had to support your siblings?
ANDILE DLAMINI [11:34]:
No not really my siblings were a responsibility of mine from a very young age, so I don't see them as oh, I don't see It as pressure. I don't see it like that. So whether we like it or we don't, as black communities, we actually need to give back that way. And especially if you're the chosen one in the family. And I believe that at this moment, I'm the chosen one because I'm the one that's bringing in the income at home. So I have a little brother that I took to school from grade 8 until matric and right now he is walking in a pathway that I'm actually proud of. Yes I might have influenced the fact that he plays football, he's a goalkeeper, but I know how smart he is and how that drove him to see his sister actually work extremely hard for him to be ok at school. Everything that he needed he got, I would rather not have, but he, at least my little brother has. And my, my, other little brother has a salon that he owns, so he makes… and that one, when it comes to savings, he's the best. Like he's the best. And then it is my little sister who is, who went to school as well, but currently not working. But still I support my family. So in in me supporting my family, she benefits from it. So. I don't see it as a struggle, maybe in the long run when I don't get an income, but I don't even think I won't get an income because of how I am managing my pathways.
JOHN MANYIKE [13:20]:
You know one of the, uh, limitations for athletes, let's say soccer players in particular, is the fact that a normal retirement age for supper players is around 35 or it could be more depending on your genes. But it's not the same as somebody who has a nine to five and they retire at 60 or 65. And we share a lot of stories about soccer players who were in the limelight and then when they retire from soccer, we hear lots of stories, sad stories about, uh, financial struggles and some of them appealing for crowdfunding, asking for help. How have you gone about, you know, putting a buffer for yourself so you don't become one of those part of the stats of soccer players who became poor after retiring?
ANDILE DLAMINI [14:13]:
Ok, so in women's football, we're not fortunate enough as men, as men's football. So the amount that you get every month is the money that you have to support your family with but like I said, I use social media platform to my own benefit. So the money that I make out of me working in relation with other brands is the money that I save. How do I save? I mean, I love land. So how do I save, I would buy a land and I know that in 10 years time it's gonna benefit me. Yes, I bought one for myself now but I know that in 10 years time I won't be living there. Yes, I will build there, but I, I know in 10 years time I won't be living there.
JOHN MANYIKE [15:02]:
Yeah, it's an investment.
ANDILE DLAMINI [15:03]:
Yeah it’s an investment so I think that for me is working currently and just, me seizing each and every opportunity for myself. Most probably when I don't have so much responsibility I would save more but I try so much to educate kids on buying a money box. You know, you start with a money box, for you to actually be disciplined. So I, I actually, I have a money box at home when I have to put in money. When I have change I put it in there. I’d rather struggle for a little while than use the money carelessly because when you open the money box at the end of the day, it's gonna help you, buy maybe a bigger thing that is beneficial.
JOHN MANYIKE [15:51]:
What is that?
ANDILE DLAMINI [15:52]:
It’s a saving box or whatever yeah. So that, that's a secured one that you can’t open yeah, you know, when you want money just now, but when you need money maybe at the end of the year, you can open it. So I encourage kids to actually do that because that's actually, that's actually a pathway to understanding the importance of saving to get what you want. So when I was young, I didn't like asking. I feel that when you get into the habit of always asking, you don’t have the responsibility that I have. And I would encourage a lot of kids to actually stop asking a lot. And from people like from a celebrity, can I have this? Can I have 'cause you, you lose the the importance of understanding of where the money comes from so if you save up your mom gives you 10 rand to go to school, at least you save up 5 rand, you eat your 5 rand you see. At school there are meals that are free at school. So you have that. You can eat that and actually save the money. Just imagine doing that on a daily basis and actually buying something that you actually love. And let me say it’s soccer boots, cause soccer boots is an investment if you're a soccer player, if someone sees you comfortably playing football and showcasing your talent, they sign you and then all of a sudden you have a team that actually will supply you with boots. So you've actually saved up, you know, so I think, for me, I encourage kids to do that. It's very important. And that helped me, they must stop begging, stop asking around because that will set you back you won't know the importance of why.
JOHN MANYIKE [17:59]:
Yeah. So when you look at soccer players, who at their prime tends to make a lot of money, but when they retire from soccer, they become horribly poor. What do you think goes wrong there?
ANDILE DLAMINI [18:12]:
Influence I think. Bad surroundings, also not speaking about your current situation. It helps to speak and especially when it weather it’s just the two of us seated here, you know where my mentality is and you know that if I were to speak to him about business, because he is great with business he’ll help me with business issues. Yes, there are people that don't like, but I think I think that's where it goes wrong, the surroundings. Also in in football, it's not easy and I've chilled with a lot of male soccer players and you psych their mind, but you can see that it's not helping because they don't actually attend therapists. There are no financial advisors. I think that's one thing that's needed in, in the soccer industry where financial advisors should visit teams so that these meals soccer players or wealthy soccer players, because it's not only male now females are coming up, but wealthy soccer players can actually understand why. You see with us it was easy because it actually played that huge part in educating us. We're gonna bring you a financial advisor, this is what they're gonna advise you with, it's up to you to take it. Yeah so Banyana actually helped when it came to that. They just didn't give us money and sit back but they gave us money and helped us so yeah, yeah. So it depended on Andile what she wanted to start with. We don’t come from the same families, I may come from a family where I have to start from the ground up and build and you may come from a better background so you can take a little bit of some by property and then maybe rent it out and make some money from that. Like there's so many girls that have done that already. I'm not fortunate enough. I have to start from scratch, build my mum a house, you know, then build my house because I'm looking at ok, how am I going to survive, but it's very important that you do so that you don’t end up stranded because I don’t want to end up desperate. Yeah, it leads to wrong things. Yeah, it leads to wrong things. So it's very important not to be desperate.
JOHN MANYIKE [20:42]:
So I tell me, do you have other sources of income apart from football?
ANDILE DLAMINI [20:51]:
Ok, yes, in football, yes, I'm a soccer player, I'm a football analyst and there's so many things that I don't some of them went blank now.
JOHN MANYIKE [21:04]:
Ok yeah, but this at least you are commentator, you’re a soccer analyst so that's an income stream as well and you’re a soccer coach.
ANDILE DLAMINI [21:11]:
And I also invest in myself a lot. Soccer coaching and badges because I need those things, you need to be informed for you to actually be superior in whatever that you do. Uh, you can’t, ok there are intelligent people that haven’t go to school but I think it's very important for you to actually be informed. It helps you, it's the key to success, you know. So I try by all means to educate myself with things that I actually love. Remember, if I love coaching, I'll go to school for coaching. If I love analysis, I will coach myself till I get it right, you know. So I do analysis so I get that source of income from my analysis and also I work with brands that also help me. So they’ll bring in that little bit of money but that's the one that I say I have to put aside.
JOHN MANYIKE [22:13]:
Ok. Do you have plans to rebrand yourself outside of soccer or do you see yourself growing projects in soccer or are you thinking of anything outside soccer?
ANDILE DLAMINI [22:25]:
Not outside soccer. Ok, maybe music. That's a talent that I actually, I love it, when it booms, it booms but one thing I'm looking forward to is just in soccer. I'm not camera shy and I've already started my YouTube channel, but I haven’t launched it. I have to launch it. So for me to be serious and for people to take me seriously I love to launch it, I'm still shooting where I focus on athlete and so I'll, I'll tell you later about it because that you don't kiss and tell. Yeah up until something comes so that on its own, I’m not camera shy so I would love to work on camera not behind the scenes no, no I won’t do that.
JOHN MANYIKE [23:26]:
Are we working on a amapiano track maybe?
ANDILE DLAMINI [23:29]:
Not really a amapiano track. I'm, I'm a musician, so musicians, they do any type of music. So, uh, whatever music that God leads me to, that's where I'll go. Yeah.
JOHN MANYIKE [23:45]:
Wow. So you mentioned doing a bit of coaching and so when you do this coaching, what do you say to the young athletes who are developing? What do you say to them about this thing of handling money?
ANDILE DLAMINI [24:00]:
So yeah, I advise them because they haven't handled money, they're still young, you know, I advise them firstly when they get a money box to save money that they get from their parents. But also I advise them because some of them are at a stage where they will, uh, come into the first team set up. So you have to, you have to advise. When you're a senior player and you're a leader, you have to sit them down and actually that hey, don’t get lured by earthly things. It's easy to be, to be lured, yeah, because you know, influencing from friends, you know why people don't like people like me? I tell the truth, you know, and friends that finish your money don't tell you the truth. So you go to a club, when you get to the club, one bottle costs one point something. A day!? Alcohol? One thousand two hundred a day? To some it may be nothing but a soccer player gets one income and that money finishes and then what? The next month you also do the same thing? Think of putting that one point two aside. I’m not saying don’t drink just because I don’t but drink responsibly. There are 4 weekends in a month you can’t be using one point two every weekend. And it’s not even one point two because you’re still buying a lot of things on the side. Imagine. Friends that don’t like you will lie to you. So surround yourself with people that will grow you mentally and also have specific habits for yourself. In the morning, let’s say, my training starts at 09:45 so we have to report at 09:45, I wake up at 06:00. So when I wake up in the morning, I switch on my TV and listen to things that are actually going to remind me of who I am and that are going to make me strong because this life thing is a struggle. And you’re fighting your inner self and it’s spiritual so you have to remind yourself of who you are, who you are, what you represent so that you are superior when you get to your place, so that they can feel that this one is unprovocable. People respect you when you know yourself. You must first know yourself. So I’d advise them, wake up in the morning, it’s either you’re going to read a book or a bible. A book that’s going to motivate you for training or you watch something that’s going to tell you about strength and just wisdom and then after that you shower. You do everything early, not rushed and then when you get to training, you won’t feel rushed. One, you’re calm, you’ll know what to say and what not to say to people. You see now I’m telling you all of my secrets.
JOHN MANYIKE [27:33]:
Don’t worry, you’re only telling me it’s just us here. Ok you said something interesting there, about influence, when you’re in an area like yours, soccer analyst, you’re still playing football, number one goalkeeper and all that. Being in the limelight at times tends to bring the impression that you have to live up to a certain standard, you know it’s these societal standards and I say that in inverted commas. How do you make sure that you don’t get influenced by the pressure of people expecting you to live a particular lifestyle? For being real the way you are and keeping it simple?
ANDILE DLAMINI [28:14]:
You need to listening ear 1, you need to actually be able to listen to your surroundings and adapt to the people that you meet, if you meet the boss he must respect you. If you meet a kid, they must love you. You must become a kid you must play with them. I think people, fame is just you being closer to people’s eyes and it, it, it doesn't mean anything. It doesn't mean that you’re greater than the next person.
JOHN MANYIKE [28:59]:
In fact, you can perform famous broke.
ANDILE DLAMINI [29:00]:
Bill Gates is the only person that has more money than we all do so who am I? I'm on camera and that's it. You see me every day. Don’t forget, your spirit can change the next person so you need to relate with that person even when they meet you. No matter you're having a bad day, or whatever’s happening with you, if you were raised well, you can bring yourself together, acknowledge them and you've made a day for that person and you can go and deal with your problems. I can manage that in my life, it doesn’t go to my head that Andile is famous. Today is an opportunity for me to grow, tomorrow, I have to be better than today.
JOHN MANYIKE [29:59]:
So yeah, in conclusion, I mean, if you were to encourage young people out there who may be aspiring to pursue your career or any other career for that matter. Particularly on the issue of being responsible when it comes to handling money, investing and thinking long term. What would you say to them?
ANDILE DLAMINI [30:17]:
Find more knowledge. And finding more knowledge in how to invest my money is actually going to the right people, which is, financial advisors, Old Mutual. I think actually, yeah, it gives to the people financial advice, so you can actually go to banks that are that are there for you. They are always there. When you get a bank card, there are cards for children and for adults so you can go to the back and talk to them and they’ll help you. Because one thing that Andile Ncube has taught me is, is that it's better to invest your money, and keep it in the bank than for it to be kept at home or to put it into other things but it is better in the bank because you can put it in a fixed account for 10 years and then if you want to withdraw it, you need to have a valid reason. So it's very important to do that and also I would advise them to actually cut this going out at night, you know, cut it man. I know you can have fun, especially with famous young soccer players, you are a brand and brands want to align with people who become role models. If you are a 2K, other 2K’s must relate with you, they must do the right thing with you, so you have to actually play a huge role in making sure. You may as well hate me, but I’ll tell you, going out at night, messes up your life and you aren’t responsible you wont have time to go to gym in the mornings or during the day, you’ll be tired. Respect your career, respect your life, respect yourself and brands will align with you and then it’ll be easy to make money before you’ve even kicked a ball. So imagine making millions before you’ve even gotten onto the field and kicked a ball. So I’d advise them to one, get a money box if they are very young and they don’t get money every month. Financial advisors also respect their parents because they have wisdom and they are knowledgeable. Yeah.
JOHN MANYIKE [32:41]:
Well, Andile, thank you so much, you, you've shared a lot of wisdom. So I, I see you have a wedding ring.
ANDILE DLAMINI [32:54]:
You don't have? Ok.
JOHN MANYIKE [32:59]:
How does the money thing work in the marriage?
ANDILE DLAMINI [33:00]:
Umm, so you sit down with your partner, remember when you date someone, they know your ins and outs. I've been dating this woman for seven years, seven years. So in that seven years, she knows my struggles, she knows how my family operates. Obviously there's things that you need to cut down for yourself. Now you're not only focusing on yourself because you have somebody else. So financially it's, my family has to be ok. Her family has to be ok. Now I have a huge responsibility of actually supporting both ways, her and my family, you understand, and myself, umm with her family she comes from a very well off family so she doesn't actually need my money to take to support the family. She doesn't work currently, but she goes to school and she she's applying for jobs, I know she's going to get one now because we've been fasting for that. And so we sit down, we sat down before the marriage and we decided this is what we're gonna do each and every month with what we have. Yeah, with what we have. And these are my responsibilities, this is the person you married but we want to reach these goals, so this is what we're gonna do from now on. I have an understanding partner. A very financially smart woman that may makes my life very, very easy, you know, and sometimes, I don’t manage my own money because she knows, ok, this one needs to go here, this needs to go here, this needs to go here but there are debit orders, whether you like it or not.
JOHN MANYIKE [34:46]:
Yeah, well, I must say, you've been such an inspiration, the way you grew up and the your aptitude and approach to money and you keep things simple. So I, I, I trust that those who’ll be watching or listening to this podcast will be equally inspired.
ANDILE DLAMINI [35:07]:
Yeah they must praying for me to become a millionaire and a multi-millionaire and I'm working towards that direction it must just keep me in their prayers because it will happen.
JOHN MANYIKE [35:22]:
I’m sure they’ve heard, thank you so much.
ANDILE DLAMINI [35:25]:
Thank you so much thank you for inviting me.