Registrations are now open for the 2024 Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) Investment Challenge.
Now in its 51st year, its goal is to foster financial literacy among local high school learners and university students.
Also returning this year is the fourth edition of the JSE Virtual Trading Game, offering South African citizens and aspiring investors real-life investing and trading skills.
The monthly virtual trading financial literacy challenge uses gamification to upskill young people on the fundamentals of investing and the importance of financial literacy.
During the challenge, South African school learners and tertiary students invest a virtual amount of R1 million on the stock market in JSE-listed shares over a six-month period.
The team earning the highest return at the end of each month is selected as the winning team of that month.
While the JSE Investment Challenge has become a catalyst for financial literacy and economic empowerment among SA’s younger generation, the Virtual Trading Game targets older South African citizens to ensure everyone is given the opportunity to learn and grow, says the JSE.
“The JSE Investment Challenge and the Virtual Trading Game demonstrate our commitment to educate, empower and create opportunities for South Africans,” says Ralph Speirs, senior CSI officer at the JSE.
“We believe these vital initiatives make a real impact for participants, helping our pupils, students, citizens and residents make better financial decisions.”
According to the JSE, the games replicate a genuine trading atmosphere, offering participants a risk-free platform to trade JSE-listed shares.
In a period of declining financial literacy rates – currently at 51% in SA, according to the latest survey – these programmes are more imperative than ever, to equip participants with the tools to make informed financial decisions, it points out.
The JSE says the tangible impact of the Investment Challenge is evident in the portfolio growth achieved by previous high school and university participants.
In the 2023 competition, the top-performing team − ACCP-Techcabal from Acudeo College Crystal Park in Gauteng − achieved growth of 8.64% in Exchange Traded Funds and Exchange Traded Notes.
The university team − 201 Premiere Noir from the University of KwaZulu-Natal − participated in the speculator game in 2023, which included the use of Single Stock Futures. The team achieved a return of 12.11%, emphasising the value of diversified investment strategies.
University students who want to participate in this year’s Investment Challenge can register at university.jse.co.za and high school learners can register at schools.jse.co.za.
For further information, participants can download the JSE Investment Challenge app, available from the Android and iOS app stores.
For non-students, aspiring investors can register here for the Virtual Trading Game investor education programmes.
Both competitions officially kick off on 11 March.