into powerful, long-term financial investments. Built on the belief that “the most meaningful gifts aren’t wrapped in paper, they’re wrapped in potential,” the platform offers a modern, culturally relevant solution to one of the country’s most pressing challenges: building generational wealth.
A new movement: turning gifts into growth
Squirrel Away introduces an intuitive system that allows loved ones to replace once-off presents with contributions that grow over time through the power of compound interest. By investing early and consistently, families can help children build a significant financial foundation for education, homeownership, business aspirations, or general security by the time they reach adulthood.
The platform acts as what it calls a “financial gardening toolkit”—helping families plant and nurture seeds of opportunity from the very beginning of a child’s life.
A mission rooted in access, inclusion and financial empowerment
At its core, Squirrel Away aims to onboard South African families to a simpler, more inclusive investment experience. The company’s mission is to break barriers to financial access and help households build a culture of saving and intentional investing.
It seeks to transform an everyday cultural practice—gifting—into an empowering financial act that promotes resilience, financial education, and long-term stability.
Its vision is equally ambitious: to spark a generational shift where gifts carry knowledge, value, and lasting impact.
Changing the way South Africa invests
Squirrel Away is not just another investing app. It blends cultural relevance, collaborative gifting, and goal-driven financial planning to create a shared experience for families and communities. By focusing on meaningful milestones—birthdays, graduations, first steps and achievements—the platform encourages group investment toward a child’s future.
Through real-life stories, user-friendly tools, and a deep understanding of South African family dynamics, Squirrel Away positions itself as a catalyst for building financial confidence and community success.
Sibongile ‘Sibo’ Maputla: the vision behind the movement
The platform is the brainchild of founder and CEO Sibongile ‘Sibo’ Maputla, whose personal journey in the financial sector and lived experience of resilience shaped her drive to make investing accessible to all.
In her founder story, “Building Futures: The Inspiration Behind Squirrel Away,” Maputla reflects on her passion for helping families build legacies—particularly those who have historically been excluded from wealth-building opportunities.
She highlights four key barriers she witnessed in South Africa’s financial landscape:
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A low savings culture
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Limited accessibility to investment tools
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Widening intergenerational wealth gaps
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A gifting culture that often lacks long-term value
Squirrel Away emerges as her solution: a platform that is simple, intuitive, culturally relevant, and built for real people with real-world financial challenges.
Born from resilience, built for community impact
Maputla’s entrepreneurial journey—marked by building businesses from nothing, innovating under pressure, and witnessing community struggles—shaped Squirrel Away into a tool of empathy and empowerment.
The platform is designed to:
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Instill a savings mindset by connecting celebrations to future investments
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Break financial barriers through low-entry, user-friendly features
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Support South African communities by channeling investments into local SMMEs
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Build generational wealth with every contribution made toward a child’s account
A gift that grows with every child
More than an app, Squirrel Away positions itself as a social shift—an invitation to rethink how South Africans give, save, and envision the future. Every contribution is more than a transaction; it is a message to a child that their dreams are worth investing in.
