Students get a serious return on Investment Challenge

Gaolebalwe Ramorula (3rd runner up), Marc Kornberger (Student Village) and Winner, Dorron Aremband, celebrate victory at the recent announcement of the winners of the Student Village FNB Investment Challenge.

Interest in the Student Village Investment Challenge, now in its seventh year, has grown yet again with a record number of players at local tertiary campuses signing on. The quality of the performances by players is also on the up and up. Second place was awarded to UCT's Ryan Berkowitz who made a 358 percent profit, while Gaolebalwe Ramorula from WITS came third after almost doubling his initial stake.

The competition, sponsored by FNB, sees players being given R100 000 in virtual money to invest and trade with on the JSE. Discussion boards, notices, regular polls and friend-to-friend interaction within the Student Village Web site (www.studentvillage.co.za) keep them up to date with what's happening on the stock exchange, as well as with the progress of their fellow investors. Players' standings are clearly reflected and updated on the site, so the challenge between friends often produces impressive results.

“The biggest pro of this competition is that these students are continually online and learning about the stock market and how to invest on it. With nothing to lose, and only knowledge to gain, it's the perfect portal for life experience, and this knowledge will prove invaluable in years to come when faced with the economic strains of ‘real life',” says Marc Kornberger of Student Village. “The success of this year's challenge again proves that one doesn't necessarily require years of studies to build a fortune. Sometimes just a close examination of market trends and the resultant intelligent decision making is all it takes to create virtual success!”

“FNB is proud to be involved with this fantastic initiative for the fourth year running. The number of students participating has increased dramatically year-on-year, indicating that the game provides value in a fun and interactive way,” says Justin Andrew from FNB.

The winners all have various ways of making their money work for them but the message is consistent. “Watch the indicators, watch the news and keep an eye on the US markets,” says winner Dorron Aremband. He notes that he'd usually wake up at 7am and check the markets, always being sure to have a look at Billiton, Anglo and Investec.