South Africa: Nedbank Private Wealth launches NexLegacy initiatives to tackle the wealth transfer challenge

Zawya

18-06-2025

One of the greatest challenges most high-net-worth families face is not how to create wealth, but how to pass wealth on successfully. Research shows that generational wealth often fades within three generations, not because the money disappears, but because the knowledge and habits required to manage it are never fully transferred to future generations.
Nedbank Private Wealth is now addressing this issue with the launch of its NexLegacy initiative – an innovative approach designed to teach children* from affluent families how to build, protect, and grow wealth throughout their lives.
NexLegacy is an interactive learning experience designed to introduce children aged between 7 and 18 years old to basic financial concepts in a fun and engaging way. NexLegacy aims to transform the way the next generation understands wealth planning and education through interactive challenges, practical tasks, and mentorship – all designed to turn banking and investment concepts into real-life skills. According to Bodibe Sebolai, head of client value proposition at Nedbank Private Wealth, children attending NexLegacy initiatives won't just learn how to budget; they'll gain first-hand experience in setting goals, and the value of tracking savings, and understanding how interest works. They will also learn the difference between growing and preserving wealth, and why the latter is crucial for maintaining wealth over time.
"NexLegacy is about equipping the next generation with the tools and mindset to be more than beneficiaries," Sebolai says. "It's about helping them step into their future roles as custodians of their family's legacy with confidence."
Recently, Nedbank Private Wealth hosted its first NexLegacy cohort for children between the ages of 7 and 12, bringing together selected clients and their children for a one-of-a-kind, curated day of discovery, learning, and growth. And it's just the beginning. With NexLegacy, Nedbank Private Wealth is setting a new benchmark for how banks support families, not just with products but with purpose. "This is more than a camp; it's a strategic intervention," Sebolai concludes, "designed to build habits early and create a new generation of wealth stewards who are ready to lead."
The initiative formed the first major launch event under the broader family offering proposition and NexLegacy will evolve to support young people through various life stages – from childhood to adulthood. The programme is set to continue as an annual series, reinforcing the long-term value of early financial education. This approach reflects Nedbank Private Wealth's belief that wealth planning stewardship should start young, not just with a conversation, but with action. By introducing these concepts in an age-appropriate way through games, stories, and interactive simulations, children gain financial knowledge and develop good money habits long before they inherit assets.
For parents, NexLegacy represents more than a fun day out for the kids. It's an investment in their children's future, rooted in the understanding that wealth without knowledge is fleeting. The programme draws directly from Nedbank Private Wealth's broader family banking philosophy, which is built on the understanding that wealth planning works best when it includes the whole family. From strategic succession planning, the bank helps clients manage their wealth as a unit, building a financial legacy that's robust and resilient.
"Our clients have told us they want to do more than preserve wealth; they want to prepare their children to manage it responsibly," says Sebolai. "NexLegacy helps them bridge that gap in a way that's memorable, practical, and deeply relevant."
Unlike generic financial education efforts, NexLegacy is designed specifically for high-net-worth families who want to ensure that the next generation is not just financially literate, but also financially confident. It brings the bank's most experienced wealth specialists into the learning process and aligns seamlessly with core banking, investment, and planning services. By delivering this experience through a combination of digital tools and real-world events, Nedbank Private Wealth ensures that wealth education is not an afterthought, but a foundational offering.