Two first-year accountancy students from the University of Zululand have proven that age is no barrier when it comes to understanding the stock market. Team RB-BLACK, made up of Sthembiso Maseko and Wongeka Mbongwa, were crowned May’s winners in the University ETF/ETN Portfolio category of the JSE Investment Challenge – a national competition designed to boost financial literacy and investment knowledge among youth.
The JSE Investment Challenge, a long-running initiative by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, gives high school and university students across South Africa the chance to simulate trading on the stock market in a safe, risk-free environment. Each month, participants apply real-world strategies to build virtual portfolios, learning first-hand how economic principles play out in the markets.
For Sthembiso, the Challenge offered more than just a shot at prizes – it was a gateway into the real-world application of financial theories learned in class.
“I joined the Challenge to gain hands-on experience in investing and portfolio management,” he says. “I wanted to understand how the South African markets work and develop a strategy that could actually perform.”
The team combined technical and fundamental analysis to guide their trades, learning to interpret market trends and assess company performance. But their success wasn’t purely analytical – collaboration was just as vital.
“Working together taught me how to communicate effectively and solve problems collaboratively,” says Sthembiso. “We learned to respect different viewpoints and make decisions that balanced risk with opportunity.”
Their strategic thinking and disciplined approach paid off, earning them the top spot in their category and national recognition.
The JSE praised RB-BLACK’s achievement, calling it a sign of the country’s growing pool of financially savvy young people. “The Challenge is about much more than stock trading. It’s about building a new generation of thinkers, planners and doers who understand the economic systems that shape our lives,” said a JSE spokesperson.
May 2025 JSE Investment Challenge Winners:
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Schools Income Portfolio: BBM THE SHINNING STARS – Mpumelelo Secondary School, Mpumalanga
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Schools Equity Portfolio: The Fixers – Lethukuthula Secondary School, Gauteng
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Schools Spectacular Portfolio: KHL – Dividend Dynamos – AFRIKAANSE HOëR SEUNSKOOL, Gauteng
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Schools EFT/ETN Portfolio: FSD – The Digital Divas – Masiphumelele High School, Western Cape
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University Spectacular Portfolio: ABS5-Pierpoint & Ho – University of Cape Town, Western Cape
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University EFT/ETN Portfolio: RB-BLACK – University of Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal
Registration for the JSE Investment Challenge is still open. Schools and tertiary institutions can sign up at schools.jse.co.za and university.jse.co.za. To follow the journey of the nation’s brightest young investors, tune into the competition’s social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
The future of South Africa’s financial markets is taking shape—and it’s being led by students like Sthembiso and Wongeka, who are turning classroom lessons into real-world leadership.
