Capitec Bank has launched an immersive new mobile game called Livin’ it Up.
The game allows users to test their money skills in a virtual world, while picking up tips for real life. Users play as different characters, all trying to achieve typical financial goals South Africans are striving to save for – like putting a sister through university or buying a car.
Built by Cape Town-based games and animation solutions provider Sea Monster, Livin’ it Up was created for Capitec as a fresh approach to building South Africans’ financial capability.
“We want people to think differently about their money and to learn while having fun,” says Jean Rossouw, head of financial education at Capitec Bank. “The emphasis is on how you plan and prioritise your spending to balance your immediate ‘wants’ with the dreams you have for your future.”
Players are required to use savvy money management strategies to deal with work and life events, including (occasional) load-shedding, while trying to save enough money to achieve their characters’ long-term goals. In the process, they get to design their own 3D homes and play a variety of “career” mini-games.
Livin’ it Up is free to download and play, and has a download size of less than 100Mb. Once downloaded, it can be played offline. It was designed to work on phones produced within the last three years by major manufacturers and with at least 2Gb RAM and running Android 6 or iOS 10 or above.
The game has been downloaded 35 400 times since its 17 September launch.