One in two South African adults lack a clear understanding of how credit works, while over 16 million people remain excluded from the formal financial system.
Those statistics inspired TransUnion to do something about financial literacy … by creating Africa’s first ‘peelable’ billboard.
The ‘Be the Reason Things Change’ installation, located at Melrose Arch, “symbolically and physically strips away the barriers that keep millions of South Africans locked out of the formal credit economy”, the institution says in a press release.
“Visibility is power,” says Amy Beck, CMO TransUnion Africa. “When people understand how credit works, they gain the confidence to change their future, and lenders gain the insights to see them clearly. This campaign is about breaking down the barriers that hold people back and empowering them to take control of their financial story.”
The billboard invites members of the public to peel away layers representing fear, misinformation and exclusion. Each of the 500 peeled strips reveals a QR code unlocking a free e-learning credit education course valued at R2 000 each. As part of the campaign, TransUnion will be awarding a range of impactful prizes designed to support education and digital access
The campaign will expand beyond Johannesburg from 26 August when TransUnion will launch a digital peelable billboard experience, allowing a further 4 500 South Africans to engage with the platform online. In total, over R10 million in free e-learning credit education, training and prizes will be made available through this nationwide campaign.
