KwaNdebele – The learners of Mpumelelo Secondary School in Goederede in the Thembisile Hani municipally, walked away with a cool R80 000 and other prestigious prizes.
The learners entered a Johannesburg Stocks Exchange (JSE) investment competition that took place on Friday, October 18, at the JSE headquarters.
The triumph has indeed established the learners’ names among the future financial leaders of the country.
Their hard work coupled with guidance by Sizwe Mtsweni, a dedicated teacher, led the remarkable victory.
Mtsweni, possessing a passion of teaching financial literacy, is said to have played a crucial role in preparing the learners for the competition.
“I took on the responsibility for teaching them [learners] essential concepts about investments, the stock exchange as well as the importance of saving,” he said.
His guidance went beyond the classroom, where he provided invaluable mentorship to the learners, ensuring that they had a strong grasp of the complexities of the financial world.
Mtsweni added that, realizing that some of the learners lacked access to mobile phones and data, essential tools for keeping up with the stock market updates, he personally stepped in to close the gap.
“I provided them with my phone and data, to make sure they have constant access to the latest stock exchange information globally.
This support enabled them to remain competitive against other learners who had more access to resources,” he stated.
“The teams’ hard work paid off when they emerged as top winners in the competition, beating schools from across the country.”
Phiwokuhle Skosana, one of the participants, expressed happiness following the team’s achievement.
“We never imagined we could win because of the toughness of the competition, but with the support of our teacher and the knowledge he shared with us, we learned how to make smart investment choices,” he said beaming with pride. “This experience has taught me so much, especially the importance of saving and making your money work for you”.
Babili Msiza, shared the same sentiments adding that the competition opened their eyes to a world of possibilities. “I did not only learn about investments but also how to save and plan for the future. Winning this competition helped me so much,” he said.
The prizes won by the learners were not only a personal achievement but also a major benefit to the school.
Mpumelelo Secondary School has been able to use part of the prize money to assist disadvantaged learners with university application fees, ensuring that more learners have the opportunity to pursue higher education.
Furthermore, the school’s success in the JSE competition has placed it on the map, attracting attention from potential sponsors eager to support future endeavors.
These partnerships could help the school continue to participate in similar initiatives, giving more learners the chance to gain financial literacy.
