Afribiz Announces First African Stock Investment Competition
WASHINGTON, November 30, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ — African Stock Investment Competition looks to change the perception of Africa to a place for investment and business by connecting with university students – the world’s future leaders.
Africa investor, South African Chamber of Commerce in America (SACCA), and Afribiz announce the first African Stock Investment Competition (ASIC) for college and university students. ASIC is the only competition of its kind to expose students outside of South Africa to the emerging capital markets of Africa. ASIC runs from January through September 2011.
“Year after year, Africa produces some of the best return on investments as a region. Yet even in a globalized world, young people learn little of financial and capital markets in this emerging region,” says Lauri Elliott, Director of Afribiz Media. “With competitions like ASIC, we help our young leaders learn all that’s available in the world not just what’s around the corner. As these students head into professional careers or businesses, they need to be exposed to the entire world,” adds Elliott.
The competition consists of two components. The ASIC Level 1 Individual Competition exposes and educates students on all the African stock exchanges, which exceed 20 in number. Students have access to information, resources, and interviews with key people that have knowledge of each African stock exchange, including stock exchange officials, brokers, and analysts. In ASIC Level 1, students win prizes by participating in short, interactive competitions as individuals.
The ASIC Level 2 Team Trading Competition exposes students to reality-based trading on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in a simulated, virtual platform developed for the JSE/Liberty Investment Challenge conducted every year for South African university students. Students compete in teams to build the best growth stock investment portfolios over six months. J. Skyler Fernandes, Chief Operating Officer for SACCA, says this is “a unique opportunity for students in the U.S. to learn about African financial markets through a truly hands-on trading experience.”
Competitions like these help introduce students to the world of investment, as well as the potential for investments in African companies. Sean Riskowitz, CEO of Riskowitz Capital and former JSE/Liberty Investment Challenge participant, says “My experience with a competition like this was a great introduction to the markets, investment analysis, and the pure wealth generating capability of the exchange. It was the first time I had to deal with alternate investment conclusions within my team, which was a real eye opener. It really taught my team a lot – both about the workings of the market and about the tremendous economic opportunity in South African companies, and hence Africa.”
Hubert Danso, Managing Director of Africa investor says, “I think this is also an opportunity to support Brand Africa as a place of wealth instead of poverty, which can attract more people to the continent to do business and investment. The FIFA World Cup in South Africa this year did a lot to alter the image of South Africa and the continent as a whole, but the process needs to continue.” Danso adds, “This competition represents the compelling possibilities that are available for the next wave of future wealth creators in Africa, and emphasizes the need to actively participate in sharing in these opportunities across Africa’s capital markets.”
The competition is open to currently enrolled U.S. university and college students at least 18 years old, as well as to students at participating universities around the globe. The online home of ASIC is located at Africastockcompetition.com.
Supporters for ASIC 2011 include the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, VC4Africa, Wilson Global Communications, African Press Organization, and Global Africa Media.
About SACCA
SACCA (www.sacca.biz) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the encouragement, facilitation, and expansion of business, trade, tourism and investment opportunities between South Africa and the Americas, and to promote sustainable economic growth and job creation across the two continents. To implement its mission, SACCA has developed theAfrica Platform, which is the foundation for SACCA´s key initiatives including the Africa Business Leader Platform, the Africa Entrepreneurship Platform, the MBA Africa Alliance, and the Missing Middle Initiative. These core pillars of the Africa Platform create the links between the U.S. and Africa´s top business executives, academic thought leaders, and innovative entrepreneurs.
About Africa investor
Africa investor (www.africa-investor.com) supplies a broad range of investment data, research, broadcast, and published content to a growing number of investors with interests in Africa.
Africa investor Group provides strategic research, indices, communications, and investment publishing services to support its clients’ investment and communication programs. Through its sister organization, African Investment Advisory, the Group also provides project advisory services.
Operating at the intersect of business, government, international organizations, and the media, Africa investor Group has a growing network of clients across Africa serviced from regional hub offices in Nairobi, Lagos, and Johannesburg, affiliate offices across the continent, and a coordinating office in London. The Group offers clients consistent quality of service across each of these territories and additional representation in Cairo, Brussels, and Washington.
About Afribiz
Afribiz™ (www.afribiz.info), a brand of Conceptualee, Inc., focuses on catalyzing and growing trade, information, business, technology and innovation, and capital flows between Africa and other global markets, both developed and emerging. Afribiz products and services are divided into six areas – media and broadcasting, publications, projects, promotion and public relations, platform development, and professional services.
The Afribiz Media division includes several major platforms. First,Afribiz.info serves as the online portal for our activities, including information, intelligence, research, media and broadcasting, services, and the gateway to our business ecosystem situated in Africa and around the globe. Second, Afribiz.fm and Afribiz.tvfocus on producing radio and TV shows, both online and for syndicated broadcast. And,Afribiz.net focuses on producing premium paid content for those serious about doing business and investment in Africa. Afribiz Media is starting production on the AfriStockinterview series, which highlights and educates about the capital markets in Africa and launches as part of the 2011 African Stock Investment Competition (ASIC).
About JSE and the JSE/Liberty Investment Challenge
The JSE Ltd (“JSE”) is licensed as an exchange under the Securities Services Act, 2004 and is Africa’s premier exchange. It has operated as a market place for the trading of financial products for nearly 120 years.
The JSE/Liberty Investment Challenge (university.jse.co.za) is a game that aims to teach South African learners and students about investing on the JSE and the larger role that such investment plays in the country’s economy. The Challenge helps those participating learn about the fundamentals of investment strategy and encourages them to research and strategize issues surrounding the trading of JSE-listed shares. Participants test their share trading skills through an ongoing annual simulated “ghost trading” program.
JSE partners for the Challenge in South Africa are Liberty and Standard Financial Markets.
Media contacts:
Carol Crabbe
Wilson Global Communications
+1.202.461.2215 (Phone)
ccrabbe@wilsonglobalcomm.com (Email)
Lauri Elliott
Afribiz Media, a division of Conceptualee, Inc.
+1.202.379.2922 (Phone)
lauri.elliott@afribiz.net (Email)
SOURCE
African Stock Investment Competition (ASIC)
