Al-Nur Senior bags BSE, Stanbic Bank Finance & Investment Comp
Laone Choeunyane | Wednesday December 17, 2025 06:00
The competition is aimed at celebrating learners who excelled in a demanding stock market simulation and the 2025 edition saw 28 schools participate, a significant rise from 15 from last year, signalling growing interest in financial literacy and investment education across the country. The contest requires students to form school-based teams and immerse themselves in a virtual stock market platform. They are then expected to learn how to trade, analyse market shifts, and place simulated buy-and-sell orders sometimes during breaks, after lessons, or late in the evenings. For many teams, the experience is intense, fast-moving and competitive.
During the National Level Awards Ceremony of the BSE Stanbic Bank Senior Secondary Schools Finance & Investment Competition 2025 at the BSE Offices in Gaborone, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Education Support, Steve Bothasitse, praised the students’ resilience.“The stock market is often viewed as complex and yet you embraced the challenge with determination and confidence,” he said. Each of the top schools also delivered a short presentation about their experience. Kgosi Motseolapile spoke on behalf of Al-Nur, reflecting on the steep learning curve and the discipline required to stay ahead in the simulation. Desmond Monthe, representing Swaneng Hill, described the pressure of making real-time decisions in a shifting market environment.
The ceremony concluded with closing remarks from Head of Global Markets at Stanbic Bank Botswana, Lebea Sephuma, who noted the broader value of the programme. “Today we celebrate not only winners, but the growth of financial literacy amongst Botswana’s youth,” he said. A bell-ringing session followed, symbolically welcoming the young traders into the world of stock markets. The two partners in the competition, BSE and Stanbic Bank, indicated that the expansion of the simulation reflects a growing commitment to equipping young people with practical investment skills and early exposure to financial markets. Pioneer Academy was not present at the ceremony but was formally recognised amongst the top performers.