‘In a classic trick of killing two birds with one stone, author Tendai Shaba has penned How to Make Money Grow on Trees, a fictional novel rich in real-life realities about the importance of saving.

Scheduled for launch on July 28, the book blends entertainment with education, offering readers practical lessons in financial literacy, personal finance, and financial inclusion from an African perspective.

Shaba, an established writer with previous titles such as Moments to Cherish (2020), A Lady in a Yellow Dress (2023), and Living with the Wildflowers (2024), views storytelling as a powerful tool to address critical issues.

“This novel is designed to educate and entertain while also teaching Malawians some good financial knowledge,” he explains.

Set in postcolonial Malawi in 1995, the story introduces characters whose experiences reflect the financial challenges many face -  a deliberate approach using culturally grounded analogies to digest complex issues like budgeting, saving, investing, and debt management.

“Readers can learn financial tools from the characters and the story,” he says, emphasizing that the novel doubles as a manual for financial literacy.

His inspiration, Shaba says, stemmed from his observations of everyday financial struggles in his country.

“I find that there's a huge gap in Malawi when it comes to educating people about financial literacy, personal finance, and financial inclusion,” he notes. “It is my duty to educate people.” His hope is that the book will serve as a bridge, filling that gap and fostering practical habits that lead to economic stability.

A key lesson in the novel revolves around income management.

“Most people who earn an income don’t know what to do with the money they earn,” Shaba observes. “Pretty much all that money goes into eating that money—you’re not saving anything; you’re not investing anything.”

Through the experiences of his fictional characters, the book guides readers toward smarter financial decisions.

“This novel is a tool that will help people develop good financial habits.”

Despite concerns about Malawi’s reading culture, Shaba remains confident in his readership. “When readers are attached to your work, it breeds word of mouth and keeps pulling in new readers,” he says. “This is my fourth book, so I have a pretty substantial audience of readers.”

With the official launch set for July 28, 2025, How to Make Money Grow on Trees is currently in its pre-order phase, as Shaba tries to generate a buzz among literature enthusiasts and financial empowerment advocates alike.