A few months after we launched Chow Town by Nedbank on the Roblox gaming platform, it’s clear that the game is a hit with young players. Nedbank developed Chow Town in partnership with Sea Monster Entertainment to empower kids with lessons in financial education and entrepreneurship while they have fun.

Aimed at children aged 9 to 12, the game requires players to set up and run a virtual restaurant with a variety of South African cuisines. They must decide on menus, order stock, prepare meals, and make sales – all while learning important business skills and how to make better money choices.

Judging by the responses that we’ve been getting from players and their parents, Chow Town is a huge success. Roblox performance ratings and game play statistics confirm that Gen Z has taken the game to heart, and that thousands of children are eager to build virtual restaurant empires while honing their entrepreneurial instincts.
  

Chow Town: Young players’ favourite Roblox game

We launched Chow Town on 20 March 2023. By 21 August, more than 93,400 users had played the game, 555 users had added it as their favourite Roblox game, and the average approval rating on Roblox was at 87%. Those figures make Chow Town the most successful Roblox game developed and launched in South Africa. It’s no surprise, therefore, that the Nedbank Facebook post featuring the Chow Town promo video has been our most popular organic post of 2023, attracting more than 1.3 million video views. 

Chow Town’s impact on young gamers is exactly what we had in mind when we decided to pilot gaming on the Roblox platform. With a staggering 84% of Gen Z actively immersed in the captivating world of Roblox, Chow Town is built on an unrivalled powerhouse for reaching and engaging with this generation. Kids can play with friends, visit each other’s restaurants, cook delicious food, and earn and spend tokens to advance in the game. It’s immersive fun that helps youngsters to learn valuable life lessons through game play.

Don’t take our word for it – let’s see what the players think.
  

Why kids love Chow Town

Here are just a few of the responses we received from kids after they played Chow Town:

•  ‘Personally, I love this game. I am originally from South Africa, and this makes me proud to be a South African. Hopefully we will get more games like this to brighten my day, cause as soon as I saw a Nedbank ad, I jumped off the sofa and started playing.’

• ‘Hi. I’m a proud South African, this game is great.’

• ‘I love this game because it has African food and nice to play with friends and family.’

• ‘Hi. Great game. Glad to be one of the first people to play! Me and my friend love 947. The game is great, and it has nice South African food. Finally bringing games to South Africa.’

•  ‘This game really reminds me that SA is filled with amazing foods.’

We’re offering parents the perfect opportunity to give your financially smart child a head start on banking. Open a MiGoals4Kids account – a transactional account specifically designed for children up to 16, with no monthly maintenance fee and a host of value-adds.

Try Chow Town on Roblox today.