The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has today announced the winners of the JSE Virtual Trading Game (VTG), a game that aims to teach South Africans about investing on the JSE. This year’s VTG winner announcement coincides with the sixth annual World Investor Week (WIW), a global campaign to drive financial literacy and promote investor protection.

The JSE joined the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) World Investor Week in a virtual ceremony highlighting the various financial literacy initiatives that the JSE runs to empower South Africans on their investment journeys.

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

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

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

• First place: Tumelo Moeketsi
• Second place: Mokete Masia
• Third place: Victor Rakhale

“We’ve seen how the VTG has opened more doors to those that are interested in trading and we’re encouraged to see the continued increase in participation each year,” says Idris Seedat, Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) Head of Transformation and CSI. 

Tumelo Moeketsi who came in first place says he’s always been interested in how shares on the JSE work from a very young age. He did a lot of research which led him to the realisation that many South Africans are in debt and competitions like the VTG teach you how to get to financial freedom.

“I found the competition very insightful and exciting,” he says. “The competition made me want to research and learn more, especially the things we don’t get taught in school.”

Victor Rakhale who came in third place says he found the competition to be a fun and interesting experience. He tracked it every day and observed the participants that were performing well. Victor is very excited to be one of the winners of the challenge and congratulates the rest of the team on 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,” he says.

“I would like to encourage more people to take part in this competition and grow the number from this year’s 5000 participants,” he concludes.

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

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

“The JSE has long been a leading champion of improving financial literacy and know-how of ordinary South Africans, recognising 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 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 on-going financial literacy initiatives and programmes.

Watch the video below for more information:

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ABOUT THE JSE

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has a well-established history operating as a marketplace for trading financial products. It is a pioneering, globally connected exchange group that enables inclusive economic growth through trusted, world class, socially responsible products, and services for the investor of the future. It offers secure and efficient primary and secondary capital markets across a diverse range of securities, spanning equities, derivatives, and debt markets. It prides itself as being the market of choice for local and international investors looking to gain exposure to leading capital markets on the African continent. The JSE is currently ranked in the Top 20 largest stock exchanges in the world by market capitalisation, and is the largest stock exchange in Africa, having been in operation for over 130 years.

As a leading global exchange, the JSE co-creates, unlocks value & makes real connections happen.

www.jse.co.za.