Transforming frugality into financial empowerment: the story of 1 Family, 1 Stockpile
Ncumisa Ndelu, a Durban mother, has transformed her frugal living strategies into a nationwide movement, empowering women across South Africa to save, invest, and thrive financially. Discover how her Facebook group, 1 Family, 1 Stockpile, is changing lives through community support and practical budgeting tips.
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In a world where rising living costs are tightening household budgets across South Africa, one Durban mother has turned her financial savvy into a force for community upliftment.
Meet Ncumisa Ndelu, a 48-year-old whose determination to stretch her family’s resources ignited 1 Family, 1 Stockpile, a thriving Facebook group that now connects more than 800,000 members.
What began as a simple exchange of shopping tips among friends has evolved into a nationwide financial empowerment network, helping women across South Africa save significantly, start their own businesses, and cultivate financially resilient futures.
Determined to help South Africans—especially women—navigate economic pressures, Ndelu, a former journalist and communications professional, launched 1 Family, 1 Stockpile in 2016. Her vision was straightforward: share effective shopping hacks, budgeting strategies, and the benefits of stockpiling essentials to combat inflation and financial instability.
The group rapidly became a trusted “sisterhood”, fostering financial literacy and providing robust community support. Today, it serves as a vital platform where women exchange savings techniques, share discounts, celebrate financial achievements, and encourage one another in smarter money management—all rooted in empowerment, education, and collective wisdom.
For Ndelu, everyday budgeting isn’t just about saving—it’s about growth, both at home and in her community. By making informed purchasing decisions, she has been able to invest in her children’s education, support their creative pursuits, and sustain her long-standing mission to feed the homeless.
More importantly, her approach has instilled financial literacy in her children, teaching them practical lessons in budgeting, comparative shopping, and mindful spending—knowledge that will serve them well into adulthood.
Her commitment to empowerment extends beyond her household into her online community. What started as a small group of 50 members has flourished into a nationwide movement, where thousands of women support each other by exchanging practical savings advice, celebrating milestones like debt clearance and homeownership, and encouraging financial independence.
“The group thrives on trust,” says Ndelu. “When we share what’s helped us, it empowers someone else to thrive.”
Here are her 5 budgeting tips
- Establish a proactive household budget
- Plan your budget well in advance of payday, treating it as a flexible, evolving document that adjusts to your family’s needs.
- Involve children in financial decision-making
- Encourage financial literacy early on. “In my household, the kids ‘pitch’ what they want the budget to be spent on, learning valuable negotiation and prioritisation skills.”
- Prioritise essential deductions
- Avoid spending impulsively on payday. Let debit orders for essential expenses run first, then manage remaining funds for utilities and daily costs.
- Save and invest actively
- Always include dedicated savings allocations in your budget—whether for short-term needs, long-term security, or major investments. Make sure your money is working for you.
- Hunt for sales and reward yourself
- Be deliberate about avoiding full-price purchases.
Ndelu’s journey from sharing simple saving tips to being crowned Daily Maverick’s 2023 Businessperson of the Year is a testament to the power of purpose-driven leadership. Her ability to connect personal financial discipline with broader community upliftment has sparked a wave of economic empowerment among women across South Africa.
Through 1 Family, 1 Stockpile, thousands of women have taken control of their financial destinies—becoming more secure, breaking free from debt, and confidently managing their money every day.
This movement is about more than saving a few rands—it’s about building a future where women don’t just survive, they thrive.
As Ndelu leads the charge, her story proves that financial resilience isn’t just about numbers on a spreadsheet—it’s about empowering families, strengthening communities, and passing down the skills that build lasting generational wealth.
PERSONAL FINANCE