What does financial success look like for you?
Is it the amount you need to retire comfortably? The money required to protect your family? The freedom to leave a difficult situation, start a business or make decisions without financial fear?
These questions were at the heart of a three-hour Power Talk takeover on Power 98.7, hosted by Momentum Group CEO Jeanette Marais on 6 August 2026 in conversation with media personality, Devi Sankaree Govender, Charlene Lackay, Head of Sustainability at Momentum Group and other guests.
As part of Momentum’s She Owns Her Success campaign, Marais led an open conversation about women, money, retirement and the importance of defining the number behind the future each person wants to build: Watch the full conversation.
Financial success is personal
The discussion began with a simple but powerful idea:
Success has a number. But that number is different for everyone.
For one person, it could represent the income needed to care for children with lifelong support needs. For another, it may be the retirement savings required to maintain independence. It could also be the capital needed to start a business, protect a family or create a legacy.
That is why meaningful financial planning cannot begin with a generic product or an industry benchmark. It must begin with the person, their responsibilities, their values and the life they are working towards.
The conversations with callers made this especially clear. Listeners spoke candidly about caregiving, raising children with special needs, supporting extended family and trying to plan for the future while meeting the financial demands of today.
Their experiences reinforced a central message: advice must meet people in the context of their real lives.
Retirement is not only about how much you save
Retirement planning is often reduced to one question: How much have you saved?
But the discussion highlighted another number that matters just as much: how long those savings will need to support you.
Most people spend approximately four decades earning an income. Retirement could then last another 30 to 35 years, during which the money they have accumulated must effectively replace the salary they no longer receive.
For women, the challenge can be even more pronounced. Women generally live longer, while career breaks, caregiving responsibilities and unequal income patterns can affect their ability to accumulate retirement savings consistently.
The retirement number therefore needs to account for more than a final lump sum. It must reflect the life the individual wants to live, the people who may depend on them and the length of time their money needs to last.
The demands of today can obscure the needs of tomorrow
One of the recurring themes during the takeover was the tension between present responsibilities and future goals.
School fees, groceries, medical costs, family support and unexpected expenses all compete for the same income that must also fund savings, insurance and retirement.
The future can feel distant when today is demanding everything available. But delaying the conversation does not remove the need. It simply leaves less time for savings and investments to grow.
The first step does not need to be perfect or dramatic. It begins with understanding where you are, naming what you are working towards and taking one deliberate action.
A healthier relationship with money starts with conversation
Money is often treated as a private or uncomfortable subject. Yet silence can leave people navigating major financial decisions without enough information or support.
The guests encouraged listeners to talk openly about money, write their goals down, understand their budgets and ask questions without shame.
Financial knowledge matters, but knowledge alone is not always enough. Even Jeanette Marais, after spending her career in financial services, spoke about the value of having a trusted financial adviser who has supported her for 25 years.
An adviser can act as a thought partner and accountability partner, helping someone translate broad ambitions into practical decisions.
The objective is not to surrender control. It is to make better-informed decisions with someone who understands the financial landscape and the individual’s context.
Your values should shape your financial decisions
A financial plan becomes more meaningful when it is connected to what matters most.
When people understand their values, they can assess whether their financial habits are moving them closer to or further away from the life they want.
Someone who values freedom may prioritise reducing debt and building accessible savings. Someone focused on family security may place greater emphasis on protection and estate planning. An aspiring entrepreneur may need to build investment capital and create a financial safety net before leaving employment.
There is no universal definition of success.
The right financial number is the one attached to your values, responsibilities, dreams and desired future.
Four practical steps to begin today
The conversation offered a clear starting point for anyone feeling overwhelmed:
- Define what success means to you. Be specific about the life or outcome you are trying to create.
- Write down the numbers. Understand your income, spending, debt, savings and future target.
- Improve your financial knowledge. Learn enough to ask better questions and make informed choices.
- Find a trusted thought partner. Speak to a qualified financial adviser who can help turn your goals into a workable plan.
Financial freedom is rarely created through one perfect decision. It is built through a series of intentional choices made over time.
Find your number
The Power 98.7 takeover was not only a conversation about retirement. It was an invitation to stop treating financial success as an abstract ambition.
What does security cost for you? What would freedom require? What needs to be protected? How much must be built, and by when?
Once the destination has a number, the journey becomes clearer.
Her Success Has a Number. Defined by her. Backed by advice.
To begin defining your own financial number, speak to a Momentum-accredited financial adviser.
Watch Jeanette Marais’s full Power 98.7 conversation
