For the past few months, I’ve been dropping hints about glu. Now that the launch is official, I can finally tell you what it’s really all about.
South Africa (20 June 2025) – I had the absolute honour of co-hosting the official launch of glu, a brand-new player in the financial services world with a pretty radical idea at its core: make money about people again. I got to stand on stage with the iconic Claire Mawisa (who is as effortlessly brilliant as you’d expect), and help introduce South Africa to something truly special.
Over the past few months, I’ve been sharing snippets about glu, teasing what’s to come, hinting at a shift in the financial space, and now that the launch phase has wrapped, I wanted to take a moment to reflect and properly unpack what this exciting new offering is really all about.
Because if you’re looking for a fresh, forward-thinking financial partner, this might just be the one.
To find out more, I sat down with Michele Jennings, the powerhouse Chief Executive of glu, who shared their philosophy, purpose and promise with refreshing clarity.
Let’s face it, the financial system often feels cold and transactional but glu is breaking the mould with a bold approach centred around people, not shareholders. Built on the concept of Financial Togetherness™, they’ve redefined the way of thinking about insurance and financial security that benefits members over the long term…while still protecting them in the here and now.
So, what makes glu different? In one word: Profit-Share.
Here’s how it works: when you take out a life insurance product from glu, whether that’s Life Cover, Disability Cover, Income Protection, or Critical Illness Cover, you automatically start building value into your glu Mutual Profit Policy in the background. Every year, a notional bonus is added to this policy, based on your premium contribution.
And this isn’t just paper value. It’s real. It’s meaningful. And it’s all yours.
After 10 years, members can access a portion of it. And every 5 years after that, more becomes available, until, at age 65 or 25 years of membership (whichever comes first), 100% of it is unlocked.
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Michele made it clear that as a division of PPS, glu is standing on some seriously solid shoulders. PPS already has over 12,000 members with Profit-Share balances over R1 million…some even crossing R2 million before they hit retirement. That’s not through risky investments or fancy tricks. That’s just by sticking with it, holding their cover and letting the value build. And now, glu is bringing that opportunity to even more South Africans. Powered by a slick, digital-first platform that makes joining easier than ever. The entire onboarding experience is streamlined, making it simpler for advisers and seamless for
members.
For advisers, it’s also a breath of fresh air. Michele says that instead of just selling products, they’re helping clients build wealth. They’re offering more than just monthly cover, they’re creating long-term value.
Because this is bigger than just insurance.
As for me? I’m just grateful to have been part of this launch, to stand alongside brilliant people who believe in a better, fairer financial future for all South Africans. People who believe that doing well and doing good don’t have to be separate things. And I learnt so much about the importance of financial well being along the way.
It was a reminder of how powerful shared ideas can be and how much potential there is when innovation meets intention.
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