About Us

Koobeng started from a simple frustration: most personal finance content written in English is built for American or British readers. The advice assumes you have a 401(k), file taxes with the IRS, or worry about Student Finance England. For South Africans navigating PAYE deductions, load shedding costs, JSE ETFs, and the rand's mood swings, that advice lands somewhere between irrelevant and misleading.

We set out to build the resource we wished we had — a site where a graduate in Braamfontein or a family in Durban North can find practical, source-backed articles written for their actual financial reality. No jargon walls, no sales pressure, no recycled American talking points with "South Africa" pasted into the title.

Our Editorial Approach

Every article on Koobeng is researched against primary South African sources — SARB data, National Treasury publications, SARS guides, Stats SA releases, and JSE disclosures. When we cite a number, we link to where it came from. When a rule changes (and in South Africa they change often), we update the article or flag it clearly.

We write in plain English with local context. That means rands, not dollars. Capitec and TymeBank, not Chase and Ally. Stokvels, not "savings circles". Our goal is clarity, not cleverness.

What We Cover

Koobeng publishes across five editorial pillars: personal finance (budgeting, banking, debt, insurance), investments (JSE, ETFs, TFSAs, retirement annuities), the South African economy (inflation, budget speeches, credit ratings), career strategy (salary negotiation, CVs, labour law), and lifestyle (side hustles, apps, wellness, travel on a budget).

Our Contributors

Nolan Pillay — Personal Finance

Nolan is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and University of KwaZulu-Natal graduate who has spent his career helping ordinary South Africans take control of their money. He covers budgeting, saving strategies, debt management, wills and estates, and the practical mechanics of banking fees and insurance. His writing style is direct and solution-oriented — he treats every article like a coaching session with a real client sitting across the table.

Johan Vorster — Investments

Johan is a former financial analyst with over 15 years of experience in South African capital markets and a CFA Level III candidate. He studied at the University of Cape Town and specialises in ETFs, unit trusts, retirement annuities, and long-term wealth-building strategies on the JSE. His articles break complex investment mechanics into step-by-step explanations, backed by real JSE data and worked examples in rands.

Lesedi Dlamini — Economy

Lesedi holds a BA in Economics from the University of the Witwatersrand and works as an economic journalist covering South Africa's macroeconomic landscape. She translates SARB interest rate decisions, National Treasury budget speeches, inflation data, and global recession risks into plain-language analysis that shows readers how the headlines affect their grocery bills, petrol costs, and take-home pay.

Zama Khumalo — Career

Zama is a SABPP-registered HR professional and career strategist who graduated from the University of Pretoria. She writes about salary negotiation in the South African context, workplace culture, retrenchment rights under the LRA, BEE compliance, and professional development. Her articles frequently include scripts, checklists, and frameworks that readers can use in real conversations with their managers or HR departments.

Thando Mokoena — Lifestyle

Thando graduated from the University of Johannesburg and writes about the intersection of lifestyle and smart financial choices in South Africa. She covers side hustles, money-saving apps, cultural experiences, wellness routines, and travel on a budget. Her writing brings energy and local flavour to topics that might otherwise feel like a lecture — from ranking the best braai spots under R500 to auditing your phone subscriptions.

Who Operates This Site

Koobeng is operated by MadTech Rocks LLC, a media company focused on building useful, trustworthy editorial websites. We are not a bank, insurer, lender, broker, or advisory firm. The information published here should not be treated as personalised financial, legal, tax, medical, or investment advice. Always consult a qualified professional for decisions specific to your situation.

Contact

If you want to suggest a topic, report an error, or reach the editorial team, email contact@koobeng.com or visit our Contact page.