LETSHEGO - THE POWER OF SUPPORT

  • PART ONE: THE ROOTS (BOTSWANA) INTRODUCTION THEME: TRADITIONAL TSWANA DANCE (SETAPA) SCENE 1 - THE SHADOW OF INFORMAL LENDING VOICE-OVER Two friends with a considerable age gap talk by the waterfront. Abel, the younger one, tells Mr. Lazaro about his experience with his bank's services. He is a public servant who has enjoyed all the benefits of those services and is proud to be a client of the bank. The other is Mr. Lazaro. Being much older, he has always stayed away from formal systems, which also made him quite vulnerable. But Lazaro is deeply versed in the arts. For that reason, he compares everything to art and says that life must be as free as the arts. Abel - Today they called me to the bank to check how my accounts are doing. Everything is clean, everything is in order.
  • Lazaro - What do you mean, clean and in order?
  • Abel (ignoring him, because he knows what is coming) - Mr. Lazaro, do you know how the Letshego story began?
  • Lazaro - There you go again with fairy tales.
  • Abel - There was a day, under the sunset light on the hills of Gabane, when songs and dances decorated the end of every working day, feeding the spirits of that village in gratitude for the gift they had been given: the hands of potters and weavers.
  • VOICE-OVER On that day, when everything seemed like just another turn of the daily routine, Itumeleng, desperate and breathless, suddenly burst through the door of grandmother Mpho's house, breaking all the cultural rituals that govern the arrival at the home of the family matriarch. The grandmother's angry look dissolved into tears when she saw Itumeleng's distress. The protective grandmother took over the Mmemogolo, who first calmed the surge of emotion and only then carefully listened to her.
  • (Abel) Itumeleng kept repeating: - Skylock, Nkoko... Skylock, Nkoko... ba tlo bolaya mma... ba tlo tsaya sengwe le sengwe! (They are going to kill Mama... they are going to take everything!). Until, between sobs, she managed to explain: Skylock is going to take everything, Nkoko... It turned out that grandmother Mpho's daughter had become involved in the Skylock system - an informal moneylending scheme - and its creditors were already at the door of Itumeleng's mother's house. At that time, formal systems were elitist and accessible only to high-ranking people. Faced with need, Itumeleng's mother turned to Skylock, offering the title deed of her house as collateral. Mmemogolo had no choice but to ask her twin children, Tshepo and Katlego, both artisans, for help in solving their sister's problem. Although the situation was resolved, Mmemogolo, Tshepo and Katlego could not fully understand what had happened. Itumeleng's mother was a nurse, had a stable job and still needed financial support, taking extreme risks by putting up her own house as collateral. That was when they realized she was not an isolated case. Many other people in the community, even while working, were turning to these dangerous services in an attempt to build a better life. At that moment, they understood that they needed to make a difference in their community. Tshepo, creative and full of dreams, had the idea of granting small loans to the people closest to them, so they would not have to turn to loan sharks. Katlego, on the other hand, was more cautious and calculating. She was not comfortable with risk, but she knew she had to look after her own people. She did not want to use coercive collection methods, because that went against her principles. Still, repayment was necessary. That was when they had the idea of going straight to the source: organizing a system in which payments were made directly from salaries, deducting the agreed amount before the money reached the hands of the community members.
  • (Lazaro) This one is taking you on a trip through things that happened over there in Tswana lands, but I want to tune you into stories from our own people here. And I only tune you into the artistic and musical scene of this land. It was 1997, right? When all this happened, we had just come through major headaches. It was the time of economic recovery, aka pre... Salimo's people were singing Sabroera fandanga... The arts and culture took a heavy blow; many artists emigrated and light music ruled the charts, Ngoma Mozambique and Masseve on TVM... like the Parruque twins.
  • THEME: CATCHASSA - GEMEOS PARRUQUE. SCENE 2 - THE BIRTH OF HOPE (Micro Provident) (Abel) Ideas can be excellent and may even serve every social purpose and assumption, but they are almost always placed inside ecosystems loaded with rules - some official, others quite obscure or ill-intentioned. The battles were long and enormous. The solution was to formalize this model and seek the protection of the State. And so, in a room inside a tiny apartment, Micro Provident was born. Tshepo and Katlego were, in truth, the trust and success of the community. Huge queues formed for access to credit. The name Micro Provident echoed throughout the region; people who had previously had no access could now dream of an improved house, a complete set of furniture or even a car. It became almost impossible to meet all the demand. They started handing out tickets to organize requests, which stretched into months of waiting. In the end, capacity ran out. There was an urgent need for more capital.
  • (Lazaro): Heyyyy, I remember that time... We were in 1998; our culture, coming out of that very difficult economic period with drastic consequences, was beginning to change direction. Those young guys arrived fully armed and changed everything with a modern approach, fusing the diversity of Mozambican rhythms with cultural Africa. The guys went to a regional competition in Zimbabwe and wiped everyone out. After that Music Crossroads competition, they grabbed their bags, zwetetete, caught a plane to Paris, Sweden, Norway... heeeee Kapa Dech! THEME: KAPA DECH - JOSSEFA. SCENE 3 - THE LEAP (The Stock Exchange) (Abel) The leap was already big and risky, but they did not stop growing. They learned fast and had what was needed: credibility and transparency. They only needed the SHIELD. This meant audits, governance, professional management, marketing, visibility and, above all, enough capital to drastically increase the volume of loans granted. That SHIELD was the STOCK EXCHANGE. Micro Provident on the stock exchange was not merely a complex financial exercise. It placed Botswana on the global investor map, reflecting positively on the country's value. It was proof that an idea born in a shoemaker's workshop or in a tiny apartment room can sit at the table with financial giants.
  • (Lazaro): Those kids from that time, because now they are elders, (pointing to Ze Pires). In 2002, the momentum they created allowed other bands to believe and bring new musical approaches to the country. But from the far north of the country, another band posed a serious threat to them. They brought a much more traditional approach, highlighting the rich drums of the region. Massukos chose an associative profile, setting their path toward causes connected to the many needs of the people of Niassa. Water is one of those needs. THEME: Pangira - Massukos. SCENE 4 - THE BAPTISM: LETSHEGO (Abel) Tshepo and Katlego became exposed. It was no longer a simple community conversation; the world was opening its eyes to see them, and they too were opening themselves to the world in order to explore it. Both knew that the problem of access to quick credit was not exclusive to Botswana. They knew that other nurses, teachers, police officers and firefighters needed the same care. They began to consider the possibility of trying other territories, other realities. The rituals led them to seek the blessing of Mmemogolo, the matriarch. The rituals led them to visit the ancestors to understand the less turbulent paths for the journey. In that spiritual council meeting, they realized that the shells of their lives had taken their position from the very sound of their cries at birth: in that moment they understood why the shells had dictated that one would be called Tshepo (Trust) and the other Katlego (Success), and that one day life would force them to embrace each other and move forward as one. In that embrace, they would be called Letshego (Support). Production note: show the montage of the stove combination and Letshego. In gold.
  • (Lazaro): As if rituals only exist there!!! Here, we also have plenty of rituals. For example, exclusive capulana? Exclusive tablecloth, exclusive black outfit, exclusive shoes... ahhhh, when it is time to open the doors of the house for the first time to receive a visitor, you should see the old man... he will pull out a shoe he wore in 1960 for his wedding. Is that not a ritual? When we go to lobola? Is that not a ritual? Even when we go to meet the family of the youngest boy's girlfriend, do we not always choose the best among us? When the family arrives, you can smell mothballs. And these rituals are always accompanied by dances and songs as if they were combat rituals, seeking trust and success. But between us, we all know there are always some people who were born already predestined to be the rituals themselves... THEME: Stewart Sukuma - Felizminha. PART TWO: THE AFRICAN JOURNEY AND THE MOZAMBICAN DESTINY SCENE 5 - THE EXPANSION CARAVAN (Abel) With bags packed, the plan was clearly defined... they began the journey. The strategy was to start with countries that had administrative structures similar to Botswana's. Namibia and Eswatini were the first destinations. They began diversifying beyond payroll lending, moving into microcredit and exploring other regions of Africa. East Africa was the destination: Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda. They made acquisitions to enter giant markets such as Ghana and Nigeria.
  • (Lazaro) You know what? This colonization thing has some funny sides... they took our brothers away and then sell our own culture back to us as if it were theirs. I would ask you, young man: where is reggae from? Do you not find it strange that reggae moves from culture to culture without forcing its way in, respecting each one's nuances, absorbing them and being absorbed without geographical limits? It is ours, is it not? Exactly!!! Now imagine where the best example of this cultural multiplicity is. Imagine falling in love with marrabenta laid over reggae: Antonio Marcos. THEME: PFUMELA - ANTONIO MARCOS. SCENE 6 - LAND OF GOOD PEOPLE (Arrival in Mozambique) THE FRAUD SCENE (Abel) But Mozambique was becoming one of the strongest markets in the network, because of its huge number of public servants. The Letshego siblings arrived in Mozambique, the land of good people. Language was not the only challenge. Public trust in financial institutions was not at its best. Traditional institutions demanded guarantees that a teacher in Mocuba could not pay, or that a nurse in Monapo could not even understand. Financial education and inclusion were enormous challenges for the vast majority of the population. But some advantages stood out in the Mozambican market. The essence of Letshego connected well with the concept of family mutual aid widely practiced in Mozambique: the famous Xitique.
  • THEME: XITIQUE CHORAL THEME, THEN MOVE INTO A THEME FROM INHAMBANE.
  • ( Lazaro): ahahaha Do you want me to tell you? There were parties everywhere. THEME: MAGID MUSSA - "VAMOS DANCAR".
  • SCENE 7 - THE PUBLIC SERVANT'S SMILE (Abel) Things began to change. People in the public sector began to smile. Thousands of teachers could now build their brick houses. Nurses could now dream of financing their children's education in the best schools. People with no financial education at all could finally have a bank account and a formal relationship with money, becoming part of a global financial system. Once again, the Letshego siblings brought trust, prosperity and happiness to a group that felt excluded. It was a party in Maputo. At that time, the parties were taken over by the new trend in Mozambican music, still connected to marrabenta. With modern and regional nuances, Mr. Bow took command of the market and began a long reign among pop artists.
  • THEME: MALE YA MACHANGANE - MR. BOW SCENE 8 - RESILIENCE AND NATIONAL GROWTH (Abel) Yes, they were already in Maputo, and Maputo has the highest density of public servants.
  • (Lázaro) But the country is not only Maputo;
  • (Abel) Yes, yes, Mozambique's public sector is present from north to south. The mission began in the North. They were aware that the Nampula branch would be one of the highest-volume branches, serving a vast network of police officers and nurses, and that Pemba would become the center of the national extractive industry.
  • (Lázaro) Mathua! But the north is filled with pain and suffering.
  • RHAPSODY 1 - NORTH: KIYENE - EYUPHURO,. RACHID - TOMAZ GULHERMINO
  • (Lázaro) That teacher from Mocuba and that nurse from Monapo were now anxious because the gossipers had spread the message.
  • (Abel) But they had to be cautious and grow little by little. From Maputo they had to go to the center, which is the development axis of any national venture.
  • (Lázaro) Beira, as the second largest urban center, with a huge labor structure in the port and railway sectors.
  • (Abel) Manica, with a focus on the agricultural sector, and Tete, which was living through the mining boom and the demand for fast financial services.
  • (Lázaro) And Quelimane would support small family businesses, Chitofo! THEME RHAPSODY 2 - CENTER: AFRICA - GARIMPEIROS DJIPSON MUSSENDZE - LINDA DJAAKA - MBOLE MBOLE, KALIZA - WA GAKA MOTHO THEME - CHITSONDZO - MUSSAKAZE (Abel) Lichinga and Vilanculos, where Letshego became, in many cases, the only viable alternative for public servants.
  • (Lázaro) Guirendo! SCENE 9 - THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL (Mastercard and Beyond)
  • (Abel) Who could have imagined that an idea born on the outskirts of Gaborone could transform the lives of millions of Africans? (Lazaro) Few could believe that today, in Mozambique, the client base has surpassed 126 thousand.
  • (Abel) That it would become one of the fastest-growing subsidiaries in the Group.
  • (Lazaro) That the bank would grow from 1 branch (2011) to 13 branches distributed across the provincial capitals.
  • (Abel) That the loan portfolio would grow from 562 million (2011) to 14 billion meticais in 2025.
  • (Lazaro) That it would employ 171 direct staff and more than 500 indirect staff, all Mozambican citizens. THEME – CELEBRATION – ZÉ PIRES (Abel) Everything prospers, but we want more; that is why our client will be the first to hold all the advantages of the Mastercard card in their hand. END