The much-anticipated JSE investment challenge awards took place on October 21, at JSE Building, One Exchange Square, in the leafy suburb – Sandton.
Throughout the year, teams from various schools and universities from across South Africa participate in the JSE Investment Challenge. Teams compete against each other by creating investment portfolios that outperform their fellow competitors. The hard work of schools and universities culminates in the highly contested Awards ceremony where winning teams are announced.
Comedian and media personality Mpho Popps did a stellar job as the host; he had the entire auditorium in stitches.
This year’s winners outperformed All-Share Index by Impressive Margins. Top traders in the JSE Investment Challenge investment portfolios showed better returns than the all-share index, an incredible achievement given the prevailing trading environment.
This year’s competition once again brought together individuals who share a common goal, to learn, practice and acquire skills that will help them build an investment portfolio comprising financial instruments listed on the JSE.
In 2022, the challenge attracted impressive 24 000 participants, which represents a 10.6% increase on last year’s figure. A clear demonstration that South Africa’s youth are indeed interested and eager to become financially literate.
This tremendous growth in participation has provided further motivation for the JSE to expand the Investment Challenge footprint to more South African schools and institutions of higher learning.
“The JSE Investment Challenge aims to stimulate students and learners’ interest in financial literacy so that they can continue to self-educate throughout their lives,” said Ralph Speirs, CSI Officer at the JSE.
Imhotep-ACCP, from ACUDEO College Crystal Park, in Gauteng, took the top spot in the income category.
The school has participated in the JSE Investment Challenge since 2019; and this year eight of its teams won prizes in both the income and equity portfolios.
“Part of our strategy was taking advantage of when the share price dropped and making 56% profit from that,” explains Siyamthanda Sibeko, Team member of Imhotep-ACCP.
“Our risk management plan was our money. We bought as many companies as possible that would give us dividends; and that’s how we took first place”, he concluded.
The CHS Wall Street team, from Claremont High School, in the Western Cape, walked away with the top prize in the high schools’ speculator category, with a portfolio growth of 4.01%.
“The JSE Investment Challenge was challenging but through team effort and hard work we managed to pull it off,” says Lathitha Caza, Team member of the CHS Wall Street team.
“We would encourage young people to challenge themselves, follow their ambition and join the challenge, you will never know until you try,” adds teammate Litha Thembela.

Dancing in the Dark, University of the Witwatersrand, Gauteng, clinched the coveted Speculator portfolio for universities award.
“The awards ceremony was really fun, particularly the MC, Mpho Popps. We agree with one of the speakers who said that it’s our responsibility to share education and knowledge,” says Roberto Coelho, winner of the Speculator Portfolio from the University of the Witwatersrand.
“Whether you’re at the top or the bottom, you still gain so much just from taking part in the challenge,” he concluded.
Maulana Karenga – ACCP, ACUDEO College Crystal Park, Gauteng emerged victorious in the Equity portfolio category.
For the first time in the nearly 50-year history of the Investment Challenge competition, all three winning teams traded single stock futures and it turned out to be the right investment strategy. In the school’s competition, the top team recorded 8.4% return in the Equity Portfolio and 4% in the Speculator Portfolio. These teams’ choice of shares helped them to outperform the all-share Index, indicating that they have acquired a good understanding of market-moving economic and business dynamics.
All roads lead to the 2023 JSE investment challenge awards ceremony. Teams can register electronically for next year’s challenge on https://schools.jse.co.za and https://university.jse.co.za/ Trading begins in March 2023 and ends in September 2023.
Congratulations to all the winners.
By Sinenzolo Mondi – Nduku