JSE announces 2022 virtual trading game winners

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) announced the winners of the JSE Virtual Trading Game (VTG), a game that aims to teach South Africans about investing on the JSE, which coincided with World Investor Week.

This year’s VTG winner announcement coincided with the sixth annual World Investor Week (WIW), which is a global campaign to drive financial literacy and promote investor protection. The JSE joined the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) WIW in a virtual ceremony that highlighted the various financial literacy initiatives run by the JSE to empower South Africans with their investment journey.

As a key global initiative, the annual WIW is promoted by IOSCO and supported by the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) which hosts the “Ring the Bell for Financial Literacy” event annually.

To mark the occasion, a countdown to market open was held along with the sounding of instruments. This signified the importance of the bourse in driving greater participation in the acquisition of financial skills and knowledge, for all South Africans.

As part of this auspicious ceremony, the top winners of the JSE Virtual Trading Game competition were announced. They received a share of R100 000 in investment vouchers.

Winners of the 2022 Virtual Trading Game are:

• First place: Tumelo Moeketsi

• Second place: Mokete Masia

• Third place: Victor Rakhale

“We have seen how the VTG has opened up doors to those interested in trading and are optimistic to see the continued increase in participation each year,” said Idris Seedat, JSE head of transformation and CSI.

Tumelo Moeketsi, who won first place, said that from a young age he had been interested in how shares on the JSE worked. He did a lot of research which led him to the realisation that many South Africans are living in debt, and competitions such as the VTG teach you how to attain financial freedom.

“I found the competition insightful and exciting. The competition made me want to research and learn more, especially the things we are not taught in school.”

Victor Rakhale, who clinched third place, said he found the competition to be a fun and interesting experience. He tracked it every day and observed the participants who performed well. Rakhale is excited to be one of the winners of the challenge and congratulates the rest of the team for their achievements.

“I didn’t find the competition stressful because when I entered, I immediately thought of it as a game and looked at it in conjunction with my real world portfolio. I would like to encourage more people to take part in this competition and grow the number from this year’s 5000 participants,” said Rakhale.

Seedat congratulated the winners of this year’s competition and said, “We are incredibly excited for next year’s edition as we continue to work towards our goal to broaden the VTG’s footprint.”

The JSE continues to drive financial literacy through its flagship initiatives that include the Investment Challenge for high school learners and tertiary students. It aims to make a tangible impact in society and ensures broader access to the world of finance and investments for the general public.

“The JSE has long been a leading champion of improving financial literacy and know-how of ordinary South Africans. The stock exchange believes that consumer financial education must be the shared responsibility of the various stakeholders that make up the country’s financial sector,” says Seedat.

These initiatives are part of the JSE’s efforts to be a leading socially responsible exchange on the African continent. This is by creating a society where there is easy and equal access to opportunities for individuals to be able to build wealth and become financially independent. The JSE remains committed to this goal and will continue to improve on the impact and reach of its ongoing financial literacy initiatives and programmes.

To view the recording of the event, please click here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8j2pgWWqQA