JSE Investment Challenge: July winners show anyone can invest
Johannesburg, August 2014. Aspirant traders from Kings College in East London, Hoërskool DF Malan in Cape Town and Pretoria Boys High School have been announced as the July winners of the JSE Investment Challenge. These schools have demonstrated that young South Africans are quick learners when it comes to investing, saving and managing money.
The July winners each walk away with R500 per team member, R500 for their teacher and R500 for their school. ‘The Unbeatable’ team from Kings College, won in the Income Portfolio Category. Hoërskool DF Malan’s team ‘Neverest’ achieved first place in the Equity Portfolio Category. Pretoria Boys High School’s team ‘PBHS Sur + Traders V3.0’ took the first position in the Speculator Portfolio Category.
Umthawethemba Qwayi, Aphiwe Maqoyi, Simamkele Mrwetyana and Anathi Summwerton from Kings College are the winners of the Income Portfolio Category. Luke Nel, Tonia Schoeman, Henro Spangenberg and Rouxle Schmeisser from Hoërskool DF Malan took first place in the Equity Portfolio Category. Dean Pillay, Ruben Mpanya, Kofi Snaman and Kamohelo Motaung from Pretoria Boys High School are the proud winners of the Speculator Portfolio Category.
Idris Seedat, Manager: Investment Challenge at the JSE, says “The Challenge is helping to increase public participation on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange by showing that investing is something that anyone can do. The competition fulfils an important role in financial education and is giving young people a solid foundation in investing.”
He adds that young people have to cultivate good savings habits early in their lives. “If you can start saving money when you are young you are far more likely to be responsible with your money later on.”
The JSE Investment Challenge gives high school learners and university students the opportunity to manage a virtual portfolio of JSE-listed shares. Each team starts the competition with a virtual R1 million and tries to make this sum grow by investing it in the equity market. The Challenge has three categories with differing risks associated with each of them. Teams can choose to compete in the Speculator portfolio (high risk), Equity Growth portfolio (moderate risk) or Income portfolio (low risk). These games allow participants to select their appropriate wealth management strategy, testing their investment skills against peers.
This year’s competition has five top prizes for the annual winners valued at R60 000 per portfolio in the schools Challenge and another R60 000 in the university Challenge. The competition ends on 26th September after which auditing will take place and the winners announced at the award ceremony held at the JSE in October 2014.
