KwaThema’s top trader
Mbuso Mehlomakhulu has put KwaThema on the map by taking part in the Top Trader competition on DSTV channel 410.
Top trader is a programme about stock trading and shares that is currently in its second season.
The competition started with 2 000 amateur traders who had to take part in a series of selection tests and challenges.
The top 50 were chosen and they each had to upload a video, marketing themselves, onto YouTube.
The eight participants with the most views were then selected and will appear on the show.
Each contestant is given R1 million in fake trading money to use in buying and selling stock on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).
Mbuso, a computer science graduate, became interested in the competition although he had never studied finance or investment management.
“I always watched the channel and one day I saw that the competition was on. I thought I should give it a shot and the rest, as they say, is history,” he says.
Mbuso made it into the top eight and must make sure that every week he performs well in order to avoid elimination.
During the competition, a typical day for Mbuso involves waking up at 3am to catch the Asian market, which is important to South Africa’s gold trade. Between 6am and 9am he rests and reads all his books on the exchange.
The rest of the day he basically keeps a close eye on the stock exchange so that he will know when to buy or sell stock.
“The most activity happens at noon, because that is when most people get a chance to trade. It is the highlight of my day,” he adds.
Every day he must make investments with his money that will give him a profit or a loss.
Mbuso admits that the markets are stressful and often he loses money with bad investments.
“I hope I win, the competition is tough and every challenge requires a greater hunger and determination than before,” he concludes.
The winner stands a chance to get R250 000 and the title of South Africa’s Top Trader.
The season started on October 2 and will continue until mid November where one winner will be chosen from the top three.
Catch Mbuso on season two of Top Trader on DSTV channel 410 every Wednesday at 9:30pm.
