Encouraging people to save is an "extremely important" part of the South African Reserve Bank's (SARB's) duties, governor Gill Marcus said on Friday.

The bank had been among the handful of institutions that had started the South African Savings Institute about nine years ago "and we have proudly continued with this relationship", she said in a statement to mark the start of National Savings Month 2010.

The initiative took the message to all corners of the economy and placed the debate right inside households.

There was "no doubt" South Africans would have been better prepared for the global economic crisis if they had owed less money and had more savings.

"Many people depended on easy credit and did not spend their money wisely, which meant that they and their families were caught out by the recent recession.

"The suddenness and seriousness of the downturn were a shock at national level, in business and in families."

By focusing on keeping prices steady and inflation low, the bank was creating a society in which people would be helped to save and plan for the long term.

"We are providing the insurance no other insurer can hope to provide, and that is to the poor and low-income earners of South Africa."

Marcus said that the SARB was protecting the poor's few resources by making sure they still had the power to buy, which she said was the "best gift" a government could give its people.

Keeping the rate at which people saved high was" a very necessary part" of the SARB's bigger plan. Retrenchment and ill-health could be tragic for working families, but the protection provided by personal savings could at least relieve some of the pressure.

"More importantly, a healthy amount of savings is essential, because it funds the investment that is needed to encourage economic growth and create jobs."