29 Jul 2020

Local author, Simon Ratshosa has released a book titled, Masheleng, which is a memoir of his experience with money.

The 35-year-old accountant and planner, who has vast knowledge in financial issues, said the book was a personal journey of his life.

“This book is the story about myself and I know that many people are living it,” he said.

In an interview, Ratshosa said the book was a blueprint for fast-tracking financial independence through personal finance, investing and entrepreneurship; all of which were broken down in the book.

“Your childhood money lessons could reveal the answers to how you relate with money,” he said.

He indicated that the book was a journey about his life and was intended to help unlock readers’ childhood lessons, saying a bad relationship with money and failure to work towards creating real wealth, was highly likely a result of a person’s childhood money lessons.

“Most people think it is because they did not learn finance and accounting at school, or that they have never worked in the financial services sector. Trust me, those who have done that are even more confused and make much more mistakes,” he said.

Ratshosa said his believe was that if all could go back to how money was introduced to them during their childhood, who did the introduction and how fluent were they in speaking this language, then they might be able to find their way through the maze and avoid creating the same trap for their children.

“This book can help nourish our children and help them in issues of finance, and help them understand and relate with money better,” he said.

“I take it that my story is interesting and resonates well with ordinary Batswana who have been to school, worked, taken loans and faced financial challenges,” he said.

Ratshosa said the book was not the typical money textbook, as he shared his personal life experience adding that the reader would have a chance to introspect and share their experiences at the end of each chapter.

He noted that many books on finance had been written, but his was different as it tells a story about how he related with money and also teaches people about creating real wealth.

“My book consist of three chapters.

The first chapter speaks about myself as a child learning to use money titled, Learning the language of money, with the second one about me being a teenager now purchasing titled, Practicing the language of money and finally the last chapter as an adult earning money titled, Speaking the language of money,” he said.

Ratshosa noted that it was crucial for all to go back to their childhood days in order for them to resolve their issues with money.

Having done a double major in economics and accounting at the University of Botswana, coupled with additional courses in banking, insurance and risk management, he said it was through such acumen that he was inspired to write the book after realising the stress that people had when it comes to issues of finance management.

He was adamant that most people were not taught at school how to use money and how to use it to their benefit and create real wealth “I understand the confusion and stress that people have in dealing with banks, brokerage firms, insurance and real estate agents while also trying to focus on their core business,”he said.

Ratshosa also provides free advice and tips to his friends and followers on his Facebook page on financial education, advisory services and wealth management in an effort to break the barriers.

“My aspiration is to change our people’s mentality such that all can understand money and let be financially free,” he said.ENDS