Kempton Park teacher Giba Mahlangu’s quest to convert pupils into market-minded entrepreneurs

South Africa’s next generation of investors has outpaced the broader market in this year’s JSE Investment Challenge, delivering returns that eclipsed the All-Share Index’s 23% gain during the competition period. The top-performing team in the schools’ income portfolio category was “Cheslin Kolbe 1st Try” from Hoërskool Birchleigh in Kempton Park. Behind their success and that of three other winning teams stands Giba Mahlangu, a maths teacher with a knack for turning classrooms into incubators of financial savvy. In an interview with BizNews, Mahlangu shared his investment philosophy, his methods for sparking student interest in the stock exchange, and his deeper mission: nurturing entrepreneurs from a young age. “We have a serious problem with unemployment,” he said. “That’s why I expose my learners to the stock market. I believe entrepreneurship is the only sustainable solution to South Africa’s unemployment crisis.” His biggest challenge? The enthusiasm of his students. “They’re so keen,” he said, “they sign up for everything.”

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Edited transcript of the interview

Linda van Tilburg (00:00.384)  

Every year, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange's investment challenge puts South Africa's sharpest young minds to the test. And this year, Giba Mahlangu of Hoërskool Birchleigh in Kempton Park achieved recognition for guiding winning teams from four different schools. And we have Giba with us in the Business Studio.  

So, what motivated you to extend your mentorship to learners in other schools?

Giba Mahlangu (00:35)  

Actually, I was with Acudeo College in Crystal Park and then I got a new position here at Birchleigh Hoërskool. And of course, at Crystal Park, I was also doing the boardroom, participating in the JSE competition. And I had to continue the journey here at Birchleigh.  

So it's something that even if I leave Birchleigh, I go to another school, or even if I retire, I think it's something that I will continue to do with the schools. And I'm not happy with the participation rate. I feel we can do more. We are competing against like 6,000. Then comparatively with how many high school learners do we have in the country? You see, it's a drop in the ocean. So, I still feel that we can do more.

Linda van Tilburg (01:30)  

So, you’re on a mission to get more people to become interested in the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

Giba Mahlangu (01:35)  

Indeed. It cannot be that when they return, JSE is the richest square mile in Africa and only a small percentage of the population know about it. So, this is the only platform where you can spread the message, considering that if I mentor, let's say 10 great kids, so it means 10 plus families. Because of course that will spread the message home, who will know about it. But then if we can reach a million, I think we will have a significant impact in terms of spreading the message about the JSE. Do you understand? So that's where the motivation comes from.

Linda van Tilburg (02:50)  

What do you find? Are the pupils or the learners, are they interested?

Giba Mahlangu (02:55)  

Yeah, I think especially here at Birchleigh, I was really impressed. With all the other schools, we had to really convince the learners to come to the party. At Birchleigh, it was the end of last year, I put out an advertisement that those who want to join the boardroom—that afternoon activity, I call it the boardroom party with serious businesspeople.  

So, I put out an ad and we had a lot of inquiries. I think we reached more than 40 groups. And considering where we started, that was an impressive start. And the inquiry, and then from there, you could see even the discussion amongst the learners now is in tune or in line with entrepreneurship.  

And because they now also started to participate in other challenges that do entrepreneurship or encourage learners to be entrepreneurs. So, I'm happy with the uptake from Birchleigh. So we hopefully next year we can double it as it is a big school.  

So if I can get 25% the next year, that's my aim. I don't want to be overly ambitious. Maybe the fourth year, if I can get half of the school, then I will be happy. But I'm happy that it was introduced. We are doing something all right.

Linda van Tilburg (04:45)  

Well, tell us more about Birchleigh Hoërskool, because it's not a school that I'm familiar with because I come from Pretoria.

Giba Mahlangu (04:45)  

Yeah, so it's one of those former Model C schools, it's basically just a few kilometres from Kempton Park. And I think in the past it was an Afrikaans-medium school, but that has changed. We have plus or minus 2,000 learners. It's a huge school, but it's proper, like there's order. With those numbers, I was like, I'm impressed with what they do here and very active, there is sport, there's culture. Oh, it's a busy school but I love it here.  

And the attitude of learners is positive. Whatever you come up with, they just want to be part of it. So there are many activities. From rugby to cricket, brass band, athletics—it's just out of this world. So it's a busy school and academically they are doing well considering the number. Because I did check that when I first came here and I think they got like above 90% for matric pass rate and their matrics are like 500. I was impressed. Even now, we have 400 and something matric, and you could see that we can even surpass the 90% and maybe get 100 percent pass rate.

Linda van Tilburg (07:04)  

So, when you run these kinds of competitions or encourage people to be part of it, what are your biggest challenges?

Giba Mahlangu (07:06)  

Because of the busyness of the school, and then we have to constantly remind, you know, these kids, right? So, every, we meet every Thursday, all right? And then the other challenge will be these kids sign up for everything. So, but it's a nice challenge. I ask why you don't come to the meeting at all and they say, sir, I also must attend chess or something, you know. So those are the typical normal school challenges, but nonetheless, in terms of support, it's amazing. The principal is just there. She's just there to make sure that whatever you need, I'm here to make this a success. Because when I was interviewed, I spoke about this, that apart from the maths that I'm teaching, this is one thing that I'm going to run. She said, no, please, it's a new thing to our school, but you have our full support.

Linda van Tilburg (08:18.808)  

So, what is your background? Why are you interested in the stock exchange? You said you're a maths teacher, so where does the interest come from?

Giba Mahlangu (08:28)  

So I was at one college where I was a lecturer for maths. And then there were teachers in the commerce department there. And then they were talking about this JSE competition, and I did not know about it. And the teachers, one of them is... is my mentor, so I'm still with him. He's teaching English and entrepreneurship. So, then I started to engage with him that, no, man, this thing, I think I'm interested. And the fact that this competition has been around 50 years. I wish I knew about this thing when I was still in high school.  

So, my job now, every child that I touch will know about this. Even those that are not in the boardroom, tell them there's the JSE, right? When I retire here, my pension fund will be running in these digits or these numbers. So, they take money and put it in the stock market. That's how they make the money. Now here's an opportunity to do it yourself. Put them on the stock market. Or if you are lazy, take those tax-free investment instruments. Just put money there. You will see in 10 years what's going to happen. So that's me.

Linda van Tilburg (10:34)  

Do you have an investment strategy?

Giba Mahlangu (10:39)  

Yes, yes. We use the stop loss. Sometimes I talk to these learners, others say they are into trading other instruments. So, they have an idea. And suggest maybe, sir, for our maybe let's put our stop loss at 5%. Others will put their stop loss at 10%. Just to be careful against greed. Because sometimes you can sit there and get all excited.  

Suddenly, Donald Trump makes an announcement. It changes a lot. They had to learn. Actually, we were supposed to bring about eight teams but we were knocked by Donald Trump. When he started, in all the games, our clips were number one, two, three, four. They were in the top five. But then when Donald Trump did that announcement, what did he do?

Linda van Tilburg (11:49)  

The tariffs.

Giba Mahlangu (11:50)  

The tariffs, yes! It had the knock-on effect on, because most of our kids had gold, so they were exposed to international things. So, the other one that the strategy that we use is the rule of five. So at least we must have a minimum of five shares in our portfolio and or try various sectors that are significant in the market.  

In case one sector is not doing well, but we make sure that in which sector we have exposure. So, it has worked for us. It has worked for us. And then maybe we'll have just one where we just take a higher risk that we'll never know. It might be our Capitec moment.

Linda van Tilburg (12:37)  

Well, what do you want to instil in your pupils? Is it first of all, you know, a responsible way to spend your money? In other words, instead of buying fancy clothes or cars or things, you know, to invest.

Giba Mahlangu (12:56)  

Yeah, so that's the driving factor. Also, to be able to make calculated financial moves anyway. My argument with them is that I don't want you to be businesspeople, but I want you to know your price wherever you go. Negotiate nicely. If you want to play soccer, I need this money because if I make this, then I can put it away. When I retire, I do not have to look for a job.  

So, whether they become newsreaders or whatever, if you are a newsreader, why not create your own channel. So, everything that they must do going forward. You must always look for the business aspect of it. I use myself as an example and say, look, I'm teaching maths and I'm also a maths tutor. So, the parents that engage me privately, I charge them per hour. And then, then I can take some of the money that I've made there and put it in the stock market. Okay. So that when I retire and then I have a nice portfolio. So that's the drive. So I also want them to think like that. If they become businesspeople, even better. Yes. That's the point.

Linda van Tilburg (14:30)  

In South Africa, school leavers, people think they must have jobs after school, you know, so you want them to think that they can also be entrepreneurs.

Giba Mahlangu (14:40)  

Yes, because look, we have a serious problem with unemployment. So, if that's why I want more kids to be exposed to this, then I know if you have 100,000 kids, right, who will employ 10 people, a million unemployment problem is reduced or is solved. They build industries. So, entrepreneurship will only be the solution to our unemployment challenges as a country.  

So, our solution, it's going to assist in Africa, the other. We are building. We're here. We do not wait for outside people to come and assist us. If they come, then we partner with them and then we have the skill set. It's easier when you partner when you are on the same level. So bring the money. I have the required skills to run the business. They trust you. They put money.  

You remember the case of what's that British bank? Barclays Bank and ABSA, when they wanted to take over, they said this guy's financial systems are up to speed. So there's nothing more we can add.  

Because we also participate in the Allan Gray entrepreneurship challenge. Okay, because we see Allan Gray was big on developing students. So, we are there as well. And sometimes. Because unlike sports, when they go out, they go to soccer tournaments. We actually take the kids to expos. Business expos. As young as they are and I say, let's go and wear the uniform so that you can get VIP passes.  

They are normally Grade 8 level. Then they would say, do I go to university or maybe my parents can help me get this machine and they will make this toilet paper and then I start building something for my future.  

I have like kids; they are kids that I was with through this process. One is a citrus farmer in Cape Town. So, and we are still in contact. I was like, okay, so it means there's something we are doing right. So that's the drive. Eventually, it's going to assist everyone. That's the drive. And then we can also encourage them that, okay, what I'm doing, you also pay it forward. Don't bring any money to me. Pay it forward. Then we get more and more. And then once they understand it, I promise you, a lot is going to change for the country going forward.