The 2023 Chronicle

highly accomplished forensic financial investigator to speak to the society.

2. Choose a market – flats, luxury or commercial or residential property. 3. Have a real estate team, including estate agents who are aligned with your investment goals. 4. Secure the financing – perhaps the most important part because property investment is capital intensive, so requires debt financing and risk taking. 5. Find leads, negotiate deals and finalise the purchase. PRESENTATIONS AND GUEST SPEAKERS A feature of the Investors Society is for each member to share what he knows, and what he would like to know, about investing. B Blocker James Reeve shared about personal investment and the “eighth wonder of the world”, compound interest. James’s approach was to show what the investment returns might be if you started investing young. He used the simple example of putting R100 a month into a Nasdaq ETF (exchange traded fund) for 30 and 60 years. The difference in size between the investments was motivational in it own right. Ngaakudzeishe Chikarango, also a B Blocker, gave a presentation on property investing. He focused on the different stages of investing, the importance of real estate and the different types of investment strategies. The highlight of the year was having ENS Africa forensic financial lawyer Steven Powell give a thought-provoking presentation about financial crimes. Creating wealth is important but at what cost? Creating it through stealing, corruption or fraud is not right. Ethical investing must be considered on the journey of wealth creation. Mr Powell spoke to the boys about how he had been approached by the Zondo Commission to present his findings of corruption in the South African government. He spoke about the need to reinforce the commitment to ethics, governance and compliance when the boys embarked on their own journeys as business leaders. We are very grateful to Mr Powell for his presentation and to A Block pupil Liam Tribshraeny, who was able to arrange for this

MONEY MANAGEMENT We finally circled back to where boys like themselves can start their very own investment journey, and that is through money management – savings and budgeting. We created a personal monthly budgeting spreadsheet that can help boys track their spending and potentially see how many expenses they have. The boys learned that they had to split their future earnings between fixed expenses, variables expenses and savings before they could budget for their own spending. We also guided the boys to use a free budgeting app from Old Mutual called 22seven , which automatically tracks their spending for them. CONCLUSION The Investors Society is not just about the investments we make; it’s about the passion that fuels our learning. Our 16 dedicated members come together, sharing tremendous enthusiasm for exploring new horizons. We celebrate victories and face challenges together, and most importantly we thrive on the joy of continuous education. The society is not your ordinary club; it’s a vital part of our boys’ growth. We offer workshops, seminars, discussions and experiences that equip our members with practical knowledge. This knowledge empowers them to make informed decisions about their financial future. The society fosters financial literacy, while also nurturing personal development, critical thinking and an entrepreneurial spirit. In addition to the presentation and discussions and practical tasks, we provided members with podcasts, news articles and video that further explained the skills we wanted them to acquire. At the Investors Society we welcome boys on a transformative journey, where diverse forms of investing, unwavering enthusiasm and lifelong learning converge to shape a brighter and more prosperous future.

READERS’ SOCIETY

Staff Member in Charge: Mr Jed Coventry, Mr Sifiso Shabangu, Mr Banele Mlangeni Chairman: Aeden Quentin Turner Secretary: Nathan Strachan

A highlight of the year was the honor of hosting two distinguished authors, Craig Higginson and Nick Norman, who both published new books and visited the school to discuss their work and inspirations. Mr Higginson’s visit was particularly impactful, as he engaged the boys in serious creative writing exercises, leaving a lasting impression on the young minds. The society explored various literary themes during the year, including an insightful examination of Brotherhood in Literature and the influence of mythologies on contemporary stories and movies. The club also organized a Scrabble word definitions game, adding a fun and educational twist to the familiar tiles.

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n the year 2023, the Michaelhouse Readers’ Society fielded a roster of 25 members and navigated a period filled with both exciting transitions and enriching literary engagements. The early part of the year saw meetings convened in the theatre foyer’s satellite library, fostering a cozy atmosphere for literary discussions. With the grand opening of the Makan Centre, the society was privileged to move into a luxurious new clubhouse, which significantly enhanced the club’s meetings and activities.

Among the recurring events, the quiz nights and the combination

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