Meagre economy leads to meagre returns in the NSX scholars investment challenge
A student team from the University of Namibia posted the best returns over a six-month period in this year’s Namibian Scholars Investment Challenge, a competition hosted by the Namibian Stock Exchange for students and learners with a keen interest in the workings of markets.
Styling themselves Kingdom Treasurers, the three-women and one man team of Celien Kabanje, Kaarina Plastus, Linea Lazarus and Ginola Nauseb outperformed all other teams, posting a positive 0.7% return on their investment portfolio. The team’s acumen earned it a cool N$25,000 prize money sponsored by IJG Securities.
In second place was another UNAM team, KKN Wealth Management, who posted a positive 0.5% return, a mere two tenths of a percentage point behind the winners. They received a cash prize of N$15,000 sponsored by FirstRand Namibia.
The only school team that made some show in the rankings is Brexit Ltd from Tsumeb Secondary School whose negative -5.8% return earned them the third spot and a N$5000 prize sponsored by the Financial Literacy Initiative.
The competition’s contact person at the stock exchange, Johene Saal said “a competition such as this would not be possible without committed and caring partners. The sponsors have made sure that the competition maintains its attraction and prestige by providing financial and other assistance. Without them the competition would not have been a success. To all of the sponsors, the Namibian Stock Exchange would like to say Thank You. We appreciate all you have done and look forward to continuing our relationship well into the future.”
The challenge is jointly organised by the stock exchange, the Financial Literacy Initiative and International Association of Students in Economic and Commercial Sciences (AIESEC).
The Namibian Scholars Investment Challenge was started by the Namibia Economist in 1997 and run for several years before it was taken over by the stock exchange.
Caption: From the left, Chuma Siboleka of the Financial Literacy Initiative, then the four members of the winning team, Celien Kabanje, Kaarina Plastus, Linea Lazarus and Ginola Nauseb. Centre left stands Adelheid Nashilundo, also of the Financial Literacy Initiative and centre right is the competition’s coordinator at the stock exchange, Johene Saal. Next are Timotheus Kafita and Ezekiel Kambonde, the runners-up with Kleopas Johannes and Mr Wisdom of AIESEC who helped organise the challenge. (Photograph by the Namibian Stock Exchange)
