In an effort to teach children to gain money management skills, Nedbank announced on Tuesday that it became the first bank in Africa to launch a game on Robolox.
Roblox is an online game platform and game creation system developed by Roblox Corporation that allows users to program games and play games created by other users.
Developed by Sea Monster Entertainment, Nedbank said that the game Chow Town leverages the tycoon game model tailored to allow players to set up and expand a start-up restaurant through incremental investment.
“As a brand that is at the forefront of digital and technological innovation, our aim is to disruptively transform banking by leveraging the efficacy of digital platforms to offer alternative experiences to engage, surprise and delight our clients. Roblox is incredibly popular among children aged between 9 and 12 years, which is exactly the right age to start learning about entrepreneurship and making good money choices,” says Khensani Nobanda, Group Executive for Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Nedbank.
“We believe that Chow Town gives us the opportunity to nurture entrepreneurial skills and offer an educational experience for tweens in a relatable environment to help them learn important life lessons.”
Roblox is one of the leading players in gaming and has just under 1.5 million visits a month from South Africa.
Gaming is growing in Africa and the market is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 12.65% between 2023 and 2028.
In the game Chow Town, the restaurant offers a combination of international and uniquely South African foods, such as boerewors rolls that the gamer makes and serve to guests.
The restaurant then develops as the player unlocks new food tiers and expands the restaurant – all while learning how to start and grow a business.
Business Report spoke to 11-year-old Sky Larkin who tried out the game on the day of its release.
Larkin, a tween, who Nedbank says the game is aimed at, says it did help her learn a little on how to become a business owner.
She also said, while she loved the game, she put forward some suggestions to Nedbank, “Number one, when I stepped on something I bought an item, then all my money was finished. I would suggest that there should be a button installed to confirm the purchase. My second suggestion, is that there should be an option for a one player and two player. On the game, it sounds like you are going to play a two player version of the game, when it is only a one player option.
“I would also like to close the shop so there are enough items for everybody to buy things as well. So when I close the shop, I can restock the shelves for my customers.”
Ray Naicker, Chief Digital Officer at Nedbank, says, “Nedbank believes that gaming can play a crucial role in nurturing a new generation of entrepreneurs with a good understanding of how to manage their financial affairs, which underscores our venture into Roblox.”
“Our economic well-being as a country depends on our ability to develop a new generation of entrepreneurs who can grow start-ups into viable, job-creating businesses, and Chow Town has been designed to help kick-start that process.”
BUSINESS REPORT