Khaya Dlanga on how he would financially prepare for marriage

It’s no secret that the leading cause of most divorces has to do with finances and Khaya Dlanga wants to make sure he’s got his ducks in a row before committing. 

When leaving a meeting in Sandton recently, Khaya spotted above The Marc building in the heart of Sandton, giant inflatable pigs which are part of the Momentum Science Of Success campaign, with the intent to educate South Africans on the importance of establishing healthy financial habits.

The balloons reminded the popular author of how his grandmother questioned why he hasn’t settled down yet — something he says he never aspired to.

“I wouldn’t say that getting married has been an aspiration. For most of my life I had decided that I was not going to get married, not that I was against the institution of marriage, in fact, I was for it even when I didn’t want it for myself.”

In 2018, after attending a friend’s wedding, Khaya started reconsidering marriage and thinking how he would go about it.

“I used to joke and say I don’t want to be part of anything called an 'institution' because it sounded like prison. Of course that’s all changed now, I certainly would get married now.

“I think you would have to ensure that you start your marriage with as little financial stress as possible because dealing with change is stressful enough. The change in this case being marriage, adding money problems on top of that is a recipe for disaster.”

Khaya says he feels it’s important for both parties in a union to be hands on when it comes to finances to ensure they understand their relationship with money.

“While money doesn’t grow on trees, one of the best tips to see money grow is the old, tried and tested compound interest idea. It doesn’t sound glamorous because it’s not a get-rich-quick scheme but requires patience and persistence.”