For many, online shopping is the perfect marriage of convenience and savings. 

But for Hlonela Gesha, a Senior Professional Officer at the City of Cape Town, it’s more than just a pastime – it’s a serious love affair.

Show us your Shyft is a series that invites users from all walks of life to share how they use the app to unlock financial freedom and improve their lives.

Introduced to the all-in-one global money app by a friend in 2020, Hlonela quickly realised the power of seamless and secure international shopping. With more time at home during the pandemic, he explored global stores offering unique products unavailable locally.

With the option to create multiple virtual cards in different foreign currencies under one account and the cheapest forex on the market, Shyft quickly became Hlonela’s very good Judy!

Q: As a seasoned online shopper, give us one underrated win and one pet peeve about the experience.

Hlonela: One underrated win about online shopping is not feeling rushed to make a decision. 

I get so awkward standing in a shop, trying to decide if I want to buy something or not. With online shopping, I can procrastinate for as long as I need to until I make a decision.

A (millennial) pet peeve is having to wait for your delivery to come. Call me impatient, but I wish I could buy something and have it in my hands within minutes!

Q: How did your discovery of Shyft change the way you shop online?

Hlonela: One of the main issues with online shopping is security, especially as the world becomes more digital. So having an app where I can have multiple virtual cards not directly linked to my bank account gave me comfort.

Q: With the countless money apps available, which features make Shyft your choice for better online shopping?

Hlonela: In my opinion, the biometric app login (like Face ID) and two-factor authentication are two of the most underrated features. Access to live foreign currency rates is also quite useful, especially given the chaotic global politics currently taking place.

Q: What’s one international purchase you’ve made with Shyft that you couldn’t have gotten otherwise?

Hlonela: Shyft has helped a lot with my Hulu subscription, where I would have been charged international banking fees if I used my regular bank account every month. By creating multiple virtual cards linked to a single account, I can label each one for specific subscriptions and load only the exact amounts needed, making it much easier to track and manage my spending.

Q: Would you recommend Shyft to others shopping globally? What’s your #1 reason why?

Hlonela: Apart from the user-friendly app experience, security is the number-one reason for recommending Shyft to other online shoppers. With instant transaction streaming, I can see exactly what I’ve spent the moment I spend it, so I’m always in the loop and can spot any suspicious activity right away.

Q: Do you fancy yourself an investor, too?

Hlonela: I haven’t explored this yet, but I’ve been considering it for a while. I’d like to learn more about it, especially now that the JSE has been included as part of Shyft’s shares offering.

Q: Be honest! If you were granted a $1 000 wallet top-up right now, how would you use it?

Hlonela: I would definitely use it to pay my annual subscriptions and not have to worry about monthly payments. The reckless spender in me would go for a very nice pair of Arkk (Danish brand) sneakers I saw online. So I would get those ASAP!

If you’d like to Show us your Shyft, join the conversation by reaching out on our social channels. We’d love to hear how the all-in-one global money app helps you take your goals to new heights.

The views and opinions shared are for informational purposes only. They are not intended to serve as investment advice and do not represent the views or opinions of Standard Bank. This information should be used as a starting point for generating investment ideas, and should not be relied upon as the basis for making investment decisions. The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited will not be responsible for the results of any investment decisions made based on the views provided.