The “BTM Tycoons” of Beang Tse Molemo Secondary  
 
With the JSE/Liberty Investment Challenge now in full swing, a Free State school is making their mark in the competition by emerging as a first time winner in May. The “BTM Tycoons” of Beang Tse Molemo Secondary in Reddersburg have taken top spot in the Income Portfolio.
 
With an impressive income growth of R16 477.21, the team seems set to make things difficult for their competitors. Their teacher, Tharina Joubert, explains: “It is the first year that the team is participating in the Investment Challenge and they are very enthusiastic and committed to do well. They meet everyday and monitor the stock prices in the newspaper as access to the internet is limited. The learners are proud of themselves and excited with their achievement and have set themselves the goal of going to Johannesburg as one of the overall winners,” says Joubert.

Kwa-Zulu Natal schools are also proving their aptitude for investing for the third consecutive month. Taking overall 3rd place position in last year’s competition in the Speculator Portfolio and beating their competitors to claim victory twice already this year, Orient Islamic School is making their mark in the Investment Challenge. “I am proud of myself and the team on our performance in the Equity and Speculator Portfolios. The hard work and commitment from all members is what helps us do well and progress in the competition. We aim to have a win in the Income Portfolio as well and are looking for a turn around in the next few months,” says team leader, Zaahirah Bassa.
 
For the second time, Eden College Durban is a top contender in the high risk Speculator Portfolio. All-girl team “Eden Securities” achieved a growth of 19.20%, vastly improving on their growth of 8.73% achieved in the last round. The team continues to show their determination to win the Investment Challenge. “The school is extremely proud of them and is supporting them all the way. We are confident that they will maintain the standards set and continue to work hard in order to claim victory in the final round, “said teacher and mentor, Phyllis Welsch.
 
“The JSE Education Department is pleased at the performance of Beang Tse Molemo Secondary and hope that the success of the team encourages other learners in the school and province to also participate in the Investment Challenge. Best of luck to all teams and we urge them to continue with the good work as they equip themselves with investing skills and increase their own financial awareness.” says Senior Investment Challenge Co-ordinator, Idris Seedat.
 
The four students in each of these teams have earned themselves R500 for best performance in their respective portfolios. A further R500 has been awarded to their school as well as another R500 for their teacher or mentor. At the end of the competition, five prizes amounting to R60 000 per portfolio will be awarded to the overall winners of the Income, Equity Growth and Speculator Portfolios. Additionally, the teams from around SA will get a glimpse into celeb life by being treated to a VIP experience of an all-expenses-paid trip to Johannesburg for the glamorous awards ceremony, which is held at the JSE every year.
 
According to Julian Dallamore, Brand Manager at Liberty Retail SA Marketing, “The JSE/Liberty Investment Challenge gives South African youth the knowledge of how to invest their money wisely which is an important tool in preparing them to manage their finances. The number of schools participating and the outstanding results they are achieving is a positive indication that the youth see the importance of investing in themselves and their future.”
 
The JSE/Liberty Investment Challenge is the largest financial literacy initiative in South Africa with the aim to educate high school learners and university students on the ins and outs of trading on the stock market.  The competition runs until the end of September and is open to all learners from any South African high school. Students from universities and independent colleges are also eligible to participate. Income (low risk), Equity Growth (moderate risk) and Speculator (high risk) are three of the risk portfolios from which high school learners can choose to compete while university students can only compete in the Speculator Portfolio. All school entrants must be in teams of four and have to be supervised by a teacher or mentor. University teams must consist of a minimum of two members and a maximum of four.
 
To register, each team will be required to pay a fee of R120 per team per portfolio entered for schools and R150 per team for universities. To find out more visit the JSE/Liberty Investment Challenge website: http://schools.jse.co.za or http://university.jse.co.za and the new interactive mobisite: http://schools.jse.co.za/mobile or http://university.jse.co.za/mobile or contact the Investment Challenge Co-ordinators on (+27)11 – 520 7116/ 7344/ 7168. For further information, registration forms and interaction visit the Facebook and Twitter pages.