The BSE Stanbic Bank Senior Secondary Schools Finance and Investment Competition

Financial literacy and investor education are an important part of the Botswana Stock Exchange’s (BSE) developmental mandate. As Botswana’s capital market continues to evolve, the BSE recognises that a strong and inclusive market depends not only on the availability of investment opportunities, but also on people having the knowledge and confidence to understand those opportunities and make informed financial decisions.

The BSE has therefore invested significantly in initiatives aimed at bringing financial and investment education closer to the public, particularly young people. A key component of this work has been the Senior Secondary Schools Finance and Investment Competition, an initiative launched in 2013 to introduce students to capital markets, promote financial literacy and cultivate a culture of saving and investing from an early age.

The rationale is straightforward: today’s students are tomorrow’s investors, entrepreneurs, professionals and business leaders. Giving young people an understanding of how financial markets work can help them develop practical skills that extend well beyond the classroom. The competition introduces students to concepts such as shares, investment, risk and return, portfolio management and the role of the stock exchange in the economy. It also encourages students to think about financial planning and long-term wealth creation.

Over the years, the competition has evolved into one of the BSE’s flagship investor education initiatives. Importantly, it has moved beyond a purely theoretical approach. In 2024, the BSE introduced a Stock Market Simulator, providing students with a practical, technology-enabled environment in which they can experience the dynamics of investing without being exposed to the financial consequences of real trading. The simulator allows learners to manage virtual investments, observe market movements and apply concepts such as diversification, risk and return in a controlled environment.

This evolution continued in 2026, when the BSE, in partnership with Stanbic Bank Botswana, hosted the latest edition of the Senior Secondary Schools Finance and Investment Competition. The 2026 programme attracted 34 senior secondary schools from across Botswana, demonstrating the growing reach of the initiative and the interest among young people in understanding financial markets.

The 2026 competition combined financial knowledge with practical investment and entrepreneurial thinking. Students participated in a Financial Literacy Quiz, covering areas including capital markets, banking and current affairs, alongside an Investment Pitch Challenge, where participating schools presented business ideas to a panel of judges. This combination provided students with an opportunity to demonstrate not only what they know about financial markets, but also how they can apply analytical and financial thinking to real-world opportunities.

The competition culminated in a national final held on 4 August 2026 in Gaborone. Lobatse Senior Secondary School emerged as the overall winner, with Al-Nur School placing second, Gantsi Senior Secondary School third and Swaneng Hill School fourth. Students were awarded share vouchers, giving them an opportunity to invest in the real world and put into practice the investment knowledge and skills they had gained throughout the competition. Beyond the recognition and prizes, the national final represented the culmination of a learning journey that exposed students to investment concepts, financial decision-making and the broader role of capital markets in the economy.

The 2026 edition also demonstrated the importance of partnerships in advancing financial literacy. Through its partnership with Stanbic Bank Botswana, the BSE has been able to combine capital-market expertise with broader financial-sector knowledge and resources. Such partnerships are important in expanding the reach and relevance of financial education and ensuring that young people are exposed to different dimensions of the financial system.

For the BSE, the value of the competition goes beyond identifying a winning school. The programme provides a platform through which learners can develop critical thinking, analytical skills, confidence and practical financial knowledge. It also creates an opportunity for students to engage with professionals from the financial sector and begin to see capital markets as something that is relevant to their lives, their communities and their country’s economic development.

The importance of this approach was highlighted during the 2026 national final, where the Assistant Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education, Hon. Justin Chipo Hunyepa, described financial literacy as an essential life skill and reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to equipping learners with practical skills through strategic partnerships. The BSE similarly emphasised the importance of developing lifelong financial and investment skills and advancing more inclusive participation in capital markets.

This work is particularly relevant in the context of financial inclusion. An inclusive capital market requires more than increasing the number of products available; it requires participants to have the knowledge and information necessary to engage with those products responsibly. Financial literacy can therefore contribute to broader participation in formal financial markets and, over time, help strengthen household financial resilience and the development of a stronger domestic investor base.

The BSE’s approach also reflects the wider international recognition that exchanges can play an important role in investor education. As an exchange operating within the global capital-markets ecosystem, the BSE sees financial literacy as part of the broader effort to build transparent, resilient and inclusive markets.

For the BSE, however, financial literacy is ultimately about creating lasting behavioural and cultural change. The objective is not simply to produce students who can answer questions about the stock market during a competition. It is to encourage a generation that understands the importance of planning for the future, saving and investing, assessing financial information and recognising the role that capital markets can play in economic development.

The experience of the 2026 competition demonstrates the potential of this approach. By combining classroom knowledge, digital simulation, financial quizzes and investment pitches, the programme gives students an opportunity to move from the classroom to the capital markets. It allows them to test ideas, engage with financial concepts and develop an appreciation of how investment and entrepreneurship can contribute to economic growth.

As the BSE looks ahead, the continued development of digital tools, investor education resources and partnerships provides an opportunity to broaden the reach of this work. The Exchange is committed to ensuring that financial literacy remains accessible, practical and relevant to Botswana’s changing economic environment.

It is against this background that the BSE is introducing a Retail Investor Module (RIM) and a Mobile Trading Application, which will be introduced to the market soon.