FLIPPING BOOK CHRONICLE 2024

INVESTORS SOCIETY

like cryptocurrencies to keep investing exciting.

Staff Member in Charge: Mr Lwando Saunders Chairman: Makabongwe Mace Deputy Chairman: Thiamo Boikhotso

The society moved to a crucial, albeit less exciting, aspect of financial literacy: budgeting. We had the great pleasure of hosting Mr Clarence, a top-10 Old Mutual financial adviser, who shared insights on the importance of young people constantly monitoring their finances. During this budgeting session, Mr Clarence highlighted the harsh reality of South Africa’s savings challenges. About 51 percent of South Africans have unbanked cash savings, and 41 percent have dipped into their savings to make ends meet. Sean also shared five golden rules of budgeting with the boys: 1. Pay yourself first. Save a portion of your income before spending on anything else. 2. Live below your means. Ensure you spend less than you earn and avoid credit facilities. 3. Avoid impulse buying. Think carefully before making any impulse purchases. 4. Save consistently. Make saving a regular habit, even if it’s a small amount. 5. Plan for big expenses. Save in advance for larger purchases. Looking ahead, we plan to ensure each boy has an Easy Equities account, and we aim to run a year-long competition involving buying and selling on a demo trading account. This will help the boys familiarize themselves with a trading platform and learn more about its intricacies. We are eager to help them apply the skills they are learning from our high-profile guest speakers. The year has been a successful one for the Investors Society. With two guest speakers eager to return and boys sharing their knowledge and experience with investing, I would like to thank all the shareholders. This includes the boys who dedicate their evenings and study times to learning valuable information about financial literacy, our two leaders Makabongwe Mace and Thiamo Boikhotso, along with their group of lead investors, ranging from C Block learners to A Block leaders. Finally, a huge thank you to Mr Conway and Mr Clarence for coming all the way to share their experiences in the finance industry and provide the boys with helpful tips to start their own investing journeys.

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he year 2024 built on the achievements of 2023, which had marked a fresh start for the Investors Society. We saw an increase in boys eager to present and engage in thought-provoking discussions about money, finance and investing. We welcomed Mr Mark Conway, a close friend of Gordon Emmott from the Michaelhouse community. Additionally, Mr Sean Clarence, a parent and finance professional, shared his expertise with the boys. With more external speakers and increased collaboration among the boys, the society remains steadfast in its mission to bring financial literacy to younger boys. We encourage the boys to open an Easy Equities account, with parental support, and a tax-free savings account, allowing them to gain practical exposure to low-risk, diversified ETFs. Our meetings included a theoretical exploration of money, presented by Thiamo Boikhotso and Maka Mace. The boys choreographed a debate on the history, use and importance of money, both past and present, and discussed how educated individuals can use their knowledge to grow wealth. Kian Moses, a senior and lead investor, spoke to the group about the stock market and various investment instruments, including ETFs, stocks and derivatives. Kian detailed how each instrument works and the associated risks. He emphasized that making money should be secondary to investing in one’s future as a long-term strategy. We had a three-part visit from Mr Conway, who shared his investing journey. Mr Conway is a wealth coach and former financial director at Ashton Financial Services. During his career he has held many roles, including chairing several boards and serving as a non-executive director, and focused on clear strategy and effective performance. He is an entrepreneurial investor, passionate investment coach, and operational consultant. During his visits he highlighted an investment strategy he calls the pyramid method. He believes that a portfolio should be heavily weighted in ETFs due to their low-risk nature. He also recommends that blue-chip dividend shares make up 30 percent of the portfolio, with a small percentage allocated to high-risk, high-reward shares

SNELL SOCIETY

Staff Member in Charge: Mr Antony Clark

discussion and debate takes place around areas of international interest, well outside the standard syllabus, and it is hoped that members will be better prepared for rigorous study at top universities, and for interviews which they may face prior to university acceptance. It is hoped that the discussion and debate surrounding the presentations made by each member of the Snell Society will spark the intellectual interest which will ultimately lead to members becoming men of significance. 107

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he Snell Society, named after Frederick Snell (Rector 1939-1952), who had the vision to go north and found Peterhouse after his Michaelhouse tenure, gives to our boys a greater world vision and puts them to greater extent in touch with a range of topical issues in the hope that they might play a leading role in society in years to come. Academic