Sizwe Mtsweni, a teacher at Mpumelelo Secondary School, says the teams chose to start their names with MP because, in 2020, it was the only school from Mpumalanga that entered the challenge. 

“We’ve been talking to other schools, and this year there are more schools from Mpumalanga after they saw the articles and heard us talking on the radio,” he says.

The school has been so encouraged by the response from Grade 10 to 12 learners since first entering the competition in 2020 that it is now including pupils as young as Grade 8 and 9. 

“The earlier we can get the children interested in and learning about investing, the better. The younger ones are struggling a bit, but we have mixed the teams so they have at least one older learner to guide them,” he says, adding that it has been a challenge getting the younger children to focus, as they are very playful. 

Mtsweni seems to have struck on a winning formula because the school had winners across different categories in every month of the challenge last year. MP Magic Traders also won the overall income category at the end of the 2021 challenge, having generated an income of more than R53,000 on their initial virtual investment of R1-million.

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The two teams that won in the July leg of the challenge are: 

• MP Prize Winners – including learners Mandisa Mashiyane, Angel Nkabinde, Sinethemba Skhosana and Unathi Mahlangu.
• MP The Stars – including learners Sihle Kgantlapane, Thandolwami Hlongwa, Boitumelo Mohlamonyane and Nompumelelo Mtsweni. Mohlamonyane was also one of the team members from MP Magic Traders, which won last year’s overall income category but is competing in the equity category this year. 

Meanwhile, Eden College Durban edged in this month to scoop up the speculator category with growth of 7.71%. Teacher Phyllis Walsh says the school has entered six teams in Grade 10 and three teams in Grade 11. 

The Yammer Yummerers include Darshan Dharma, Jessica Sooknundan, Shaked Deahamoo and Junior Hadebe, all in Grade 10. Dharma says the team chose their name when they started business studies earlier this year, because it means “to control your mind and try to achieve your aspirations”. 

“When we first started the challenge, we were a bit lost. However, reading newspapers and using the resources on the JSE Investment Challenge website was extremely helpful. We’ve learnt that the market is unpredictable and your choices are binding,” he says. 

Deahamoo says the team meets at least twice a week during breaks to discuss their strategy, and also makes extensive use of a WhatsApp group. Walsh has tasked her students with writing up the challenges they experience while investing, and then coming up with strategies or solutions to address those challenges. 

Eden College Durban previously won the overall speculator category in June 2012, with the team Eden Securities. One of the team members, Priyanka Moodley, has since moved on to obtain a Bachelor of Commerce degree and is studying towards a chartered management accounting qualification. She now works as an analyst at Benchmark International. 

July monthly winners

• MP Prize Winners from Mpumelelo Secondary School for the income category with income of R18,265.33.
• MP The Stars from Mpumelelo Secondary School took the equity category with portfolio growth of 7.3%.
• The Yammer Yummerers of Eden College Durban won the speculator category with portfolio growth of 7.71%
• Value Creators from Unisa Pretoria aced the speculator university category with portfolio growth of 20.71%.

Teams can register electronically. Visit:  https://schools.jse.co.za and https://university.jse.co.za. To stay updated, follow the competition’s social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. BM