July was National Saving’s Month and to encourage South Africans to think differently about how they spend their hard-earned cash, Capitec Bank hosted the first Swapping Mall at Atlas Studios, Jo’burg on 30 and 31 July. It worked by inviting locals to bring along up to five good quality, gently-used items they no longer used or wanted to swap for other peoples’ they wanted more. No money was exchanged.

Adding to the buzz of shopping without spending a cent, The Swapping Mall even looked like a real retail store: it had five ‘departments’ (books, fashion & accessories, art & design, home ware and toys), a friendly swapper squad to assist swappers and a check-out till that rung-up swapper purchases for R0. Four upcycling experts also added to the once-off experience by hosting workshops like how to make jewellery from unwanted things; makeover an old pair of jeans into a must-have look; resurrect second-hand furniture into bespoke pieces or turn empty milk cartons and chicken wire into magical decorative light boxes.

Here’s what one swapper (aka Linette Retief, a Rapport journo) said, “What an amazing, paradigm-shifting experience for my seven year old son and myself! From swapping our “previously loved” possessions for tokens and experiencing the rich variety of the mall to the quirky joy of a receipt stating that one has spent exactly R0.00, it was a sheer pleasure. Surely this must be the first time ever that such retail therapy has been available without necessitating the involvement of a single cent, card, or EFT. I believe Saturday’s Swapping Mall has made a powerful statement on every level from the financial to the spiritual – and it is testimony to Capitec’s continued pioneering spirit and out of the box thinking in an industry sorely in need of exactly that.”

Close to 700 people attended the event. To check out more visit Capitec Bank’s Facebook page and click on the Swapping Mall tab.