JSE Investment Challenge turns students into traders

Image: @JSE_Challenge on Twitter

The annual competition, now in its 45th year, saw over 22,000 high school and university students participate from 400 schools - three quarters of which are in disadvantaged areas.

Each school and university team is given an imaginary R1-million to make decisions and make mistakes on a virtual trading platform that mimics the live stock market, but without any real risks over a six month period.

There are monthly and annual prizes for the best performing teams, their schools, and their teacher or mentor. The overall winning team members each have R4,000 deposited into a Satrix Investment account, where they can continue to grow their winnings through smart investment decisions, while the top performing university team also wins a trip to an International Stock Exchange.

The game also exposes the players to a potential career as a broker, or to other career paths in the financial sector.

After walking away with two awards last year, teams from Katlehong's Lethukuthula Secondary School upped their game and took four of the top five awards in the Income category.

The Investment Challenge is the JSE’s flagship project for consumer education and part of its corporate social investment (CSI) initiatives. “Our aim is to grow a more financially literate society by giving these students the fundamental skills required for being financially savvy and responsible,” says Ralph Speirs, CSI Officer at the JSE.

“We demystify the JSE for them so when they start earning an income they will know exactly what to do with it. It’s not only about the potential returns but fundamentally understanding how the stock market works.”

Speirs says the JSE is playing a responsible role by teaching the value of consistent saving and investing for the long-term, in a country with a low savings rate and little long-term retirement planning.

Winners of the JSE Investment Challenge 2018:

The Schools Challenge:

Income Portfolio
First place: Lethas Maude Str. Traders, Lethukuthula Secondary School, Gauteng.
Second Place: Lethas Stock Operators, Lethukuthula Secondary School, Gauteng
Third Place: IZI-MSZS, Zimele High School, Eastern Cape
Fourth Place: Lethas Market Genius, Lethukuthula Secondary School, Gauteng
Fifth Place: Lethas Bulls, Lethukuthula Secondary School, Gauteng

Equity Portfolio
First Place: PHS, Pearson High School, Eastern Cape
Second Place: Sneaky Snakes, Stellenbosch High School, Western Cape
Third Place: Fortius Quo Fidelius, DF Malan School, Western Cape
Fourth Place: MJJJ, DF Malan School, Western Cape
Fifth Place: The PHDs, Ashton International College, Benoni, Gauteng

Speculator Portfolio
First Place: Bull Traders, Assumption Convent School, Gauteng
Second Place: Theory Y, Ashton International College, Benoni, Gauteng
Third Place: Infininininin...tea, Victory House Private School, Gauteng
Fourth Place: PBHS Small loan of a million dollars, Pretoria Boys High School, Gauteng
Fifth Place: Ephemeral Style, Waterfall College, Kwa-Zulu Natal

Winning teams in the University Speculator portfolio
First place: UCTINV Donuts & Co, University of Cape Town
Second place: Sneaky Pofadders, University of Stellenbosch
Third place: Fire Breathing Rubber Ducks, University of South Africa

To find out more, visit: https://schools.jse.co.za, https://university.jse.co.za and Facebook or follow @JSE_Challenge.