Evolutionary Awards 2025 – NMG: evolutions in individual & member outcomes 

Category: Evolutions in improving member & individual outcomes

Describe your evolution:

NMG SalarySaver: Turning Take-Home Pay into Long-Term Wealth

In a country where financial stress is the silent crisis undermining workforce wellness, NMG Benefits has pioneered a transformative employee support solution that is changing lives and redefining the role of employee benefits — all at no cost to employers or employees.

The numbers tell a sobering story: South Africa’s household debt has been climbing at over 5% annually for nearly a decade, vehicle finance defaults jumped 31% in just three months of 2024, and more than 26,000 South Africans faced court summons for unpaid debts in April 2025 alone — with rent, a basic necessity, making up 12% of that debt. For many households, even those earning R35,000 or more, over three-quarters of income is swallowed by debt repayments. This isn’t just a financial issue; it’s a productivity, wellness, and dignity issue.

NMG Benefits recognised that traditional workplace financial wellness initiatives weren’t getting to the heart of the problem. Money issues carry stigma, fear, and shame. Employees rarely open up without absolute confidentiality, and they need practical, personalised interventions — not generic budgeting tips. So, before offering a new solution to clients, NMG tested it on itself.

The result is SalarySaver — a free, confidential, and personalised service designed to tackle the root causes of financial distress. Employers also receive a complimentary, anonymised snapshot of their workforce’s financial health — including the percentage of employees in arrears, types of debt held, credit score ranges, and more — without compromising individual privacy. This unique insight helps leaders understand the true scale of financial strain across their teams.

SalarySaver’s financial professionals work one-on-one with employees to dismantle the “systematic drains” on their salaries:

• Crippling high-cost debt – shifting short-term loans at 45%+ interest into responsible credit at 15–19% TCOC.
• Costly salary advances – replacing payday loans with zero-interest, zero-fee salary advances.
• Bloated insurance products – consolidating duplicate funeral and credit life policies into single, beneficial plans, saving hundreds of rands a month.
• Inadequate retirement savings – redirecting unlocked savings into MyChoice, a flexible retirement annuity with no minimum contribution.
• The programme also supports employees with garnishee order management, ensuring financial recovery without relapse. On average, participants save 40–50% on monthly debt and insurance costs — freeing up immediate cash flow to reduce stress and build the future.

The value is measurable: financial stress can drain up to 23% of employee effectiveness. By tackling the issue at its source, SalarySaver improves mental health, restores productivity, and helps employees build lasting wealth. Employers benefit from a healthier, more engaged workforce — and the entire solution is delivered at no cost.

SalarySaver proves that employee benefits can evolve beyond traditional healthcare and retirement planning into agile, real-world solutions that meet members where they are — often in moments of quiet crisis. It’s the evolution of benefits from “nice-to-have” to truly life-changing. By turning take-home pay into long-term wealth, NMG Benefits is setting a new benchmark for both member outcomes and employee benefits innovation — and changing the financial trajectory of South African employees, one payslip at a time.

Describe the impact your evolution has had in response to its identified challenges and targeted outcomes.

Impact of NMG SalarySaver: Delivering Tangible Financial Relief and Workforce Transformation

NMG SalarySaver tackles the underlying financial pressures draining employee paychecks and productivity by delivering measurable, life-changing outcomes across debt, insurance, savings, and workplace wellbeing.

Debt Relief: Employees trapped in predatory short-term loans with interest rates above 45% are transitioned to responsible credit solutions carrying a Total Cost of Credit (TCOC) as low as 15%–19%. This shift delivers meaningful monthly savings, reduced interest payments, and, in some cases, negotiated debt write-offs. These interventions free up crucial cash flow, enabling employees to regain control over their finances and reduce stress.

Insurance Optimisation: Many employees carry duplicate or costly retail funeral and credit life insurance policies that drain income unnecessarily. SalarySaver consolidates these into affordable group cover with significantly lower premiums, saving hundreds of rands per employee each month.

Case studies show that across participants, monthly insurance and debt costs have been cut by 40%–50% on average. These savings substantially reduce the financial burden and eliminate redundant expenses.

Retirement Savings Uplift: SalarySaver introduces employees to MyChoice, a flexible retirement annuity with no minimum contribution, allowing unlocked savings to be redirected into building long-term financial security. This approach has measurably increased retirement participation and contribution rates among employees, many of whom previously had no savings at all.

Workplace Productivity Gains: Financial stress is a silent productivity killer, draining an estimated 23% of employee effectiveness on average. By easing debt burdens, cutting unnecessary costs, and facilitating future savings, SalarySaver alleviates this stress, resulting in better focus, improved morale, and higher retention rates. Employers gain a healthier, more engaged workforce equipped to perform at their best.

Employer Insights: Alongside individual support, employers receive anonymised, aggregated financial wellness data that provides a clear picture of workforce financial health. This enables targeted interventions and benefits planning while maintaining employee confidentiality.

Delivered at no cost to employers or employees, SalarySaver is not just an employee benefit—it’s a comprehensive financial transformation model. By turning take-home pay from a source of strain into a tool for wealth creation, it redefines how financial wellness is addressed in South African workplaces.

In doing so, SalarySaver sets a new benchmark for benefits innovation—demonstrating that with personalised, practical support, measurable financial relief and lasting wealth-building are achievable even in challenging economic conditions. This evolution is improving lives, strengthening organisations, and changing the financial trajectories of South African employees—one paycheck at a time.

Supporting Documentation >