Finding your own financial freedom makes it easier to help others find theirs

Maria Bagezile Mkhabela joined Liberty over a decade ago as a financial adviser from the JD Group sales department. She made the required transition from sales to financial advice with ease, as she was already well-versed in the art of selling products to people with various preferences and needs. Maria finds it easy to interact with her diverse clientele. “You need to be a good listener in order to be able to identify their financial needs,” she says. “I’m patient with people and I make allowances that they may have woken up from the wrong side of the bed that morning!” she adds.

Finding purpose

Her career at Liberty has given Maria the power to be an independent, driven career woman in so many ways. Being a financial adviser means understanding the role she plays in helping change people’s lives for the better, and helping clients deal with economic and lifestyle changes is what she has been empowered to do.

“I would definitely recommend a career in financial services to other women. Please come forward, is my message! We need more women as financial advisers,” she says. Her 10-year-old daughter has seen how fulfilling Maria’s work is and she’s already eager to take up the same career as her mom. “My daughter sees how good I am at providing for my family. My role as a financial adviser has given me more independence than I ever imagined. I always say to people: Don’t see the role as a job because it’s a career – and one in which you really get to know yourself.”

Dealing with the pandemic

Maria believes that the COVID-19 pandemic has led women to become what she calls “pillars of strength” in their homes, although she is concerned with news circulation on gender-based violence suggesting that in some instances, homes have become dangerous places for women and girls during the lockdown. “Many women have struggled to find a way forward and to cope in some situations,” she says.

For Maria, one of the important takeaways from COVID-19 is how technology is playing a crucial role in keeping business and society functional in a time of lockdowns. “We had to adapt to technology so quickly and now we’re using it more than ever,” she says.

And while the transition to technology wasn’t always seamless, and while the recent spate of load shedding didn’t help, she sees the positive side: “We’ve got to learn and we’ve got to adapt,” she adds. “The pandemic has not only taught us lessons, but it has also given us a chance to revisit ourselves and to rearrange our lives.”

Taking care of the important things

Another key take-out from the lockdown for Maria was the importance of reviewing and updating funeral cover policies. She saw many clients update their policies after realising that their extended families needed to be included in their funeral plans. She knows of cases where some have had to access their investments to pay for family funeral costs. She firmly believes that Liberty’s Funeral Plus Plan will change this, as people get to choose the benefits that best suit their budgets and their needs.

“We know the importance of family and doing everything you can to help and protect them. Having a larger family should not mean you are restricted in offering your loved ones all the support they need, including funeral cover. Our Funeral Plus Plan lets you cover all your loved ones, at an affordable rate. The plan has come at a time when people need something that makes sense to them.” She adds that the plan is designed to also include those who are not family, but who nevertheless are important, meaning that domestic workers or gardeners may be included in a client’s funeral plan.

Throughout her life’s journey, Maria has been driven by her passion to change people’s lives. Personally, her goals remain focused on becoming the best version of herself that she can be, so that she can enable and assist as many South Africans as possible on their journey to becoming financially free.

Maria Bagezile Mkhabela, Financial Adviser, Liberty ECM

Disclaimer: This article does not constitute tax, legal, financial, regulatory, accounting, technical or other advice. The material has been created for information purpose only and does not contain any personal recommendations. While every care has been taken in preparing this material, no member of Liberty gives any representation, warranty or undertaking and accepts no responsibility or liability as to the accuracy, or completeness, of the information presented. Maria Mkhabela is a Tied Liberty Financial Adviser and is providing her views based on her interaction with clients in her profession as a financial adviser. She has not been compensated for her participation in this article. For more details about benefits, definitions, guarantees, fees, tax, limitations, charges, premiums or other conditions and associated risks, please speak to a Liberty Financial Adviser or your Broker. Liberty Group Ltd is the insurer of Liberty Funeral Plus Plan and an Authorised Financial Services Provider (no. 2409). Terms and Conditions apply.