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UFS to host inaugural ‘Sanlam and Santam Economist of the Year’ gala event

16 October 2024 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Supplied

The Department of Economics and Finance, within the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) at the University of the Free State (UFS), in collaboration with Sanlam and Santam, will host the inaugural ‘Sanlam & Santam Economist of the Year’ competition gala event on 18 October 2024. The event, to be held on the UFS Bloemfontein campus, marks the exciting conclusion of this prestigious competition.

About the competition

Prof Johan Coetzee, Chairperson of the Department of Economics and Finance at UFS, explained that the competition, launched in July 2024, is an initiative of the department, sponsored by Sanlam and Santam. ‘’The competition aims to equip our graduates with the essential skills required for the modern workplace, including presentation, communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills,” said Prof Coetzee. He also highlighted plans to extend the competition to schools, saying, “We are looking forward to broadening the platform to include school-level participants.”

In addition, Prof Coetzee noted that the competition is designed to train students to become highly skilled economists capable of navigating the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

The competition sees students - ranging from first-year undergraduates to those pursuing master's qualifications within the department - competing against each other by making predictions on key macroeconomic indicators. A schedule of these indicators is provided, and students must predict their values on an online platform before the official release of each indicator. Points are awarded based on the accuracy of their predictions, with the top 10 competitors progressing to the final stage.

Gala event highlights

Representatives from Sanlam and Santam, the Department of Economics and Finance, the top 10 finalists, and the department’s top academic performers from each year group will attend the gala event. “Besides recognising the competition winners, we will also honour our top academic achievers. As a department, we acknowledge the importance of recognition, and we are proud to be the academic home of these outstanding students,” Prof Coetzee added.

The top 10 finalists will each deliver a six-minute presentation to a panel of four economists from the department, after which the top three finalists will be announced. These finalists will then answer an additional question, and the final judging will determine the winner of the ‘Sanlam and Santam Economist of the Year’ title. The winner will also receive the largest cash prize.

In addition to the awards, Sivuyile Nzimeni, a data analyst within the EMS faculty and the developer of the competition platform, will address the audience. Nzimene will discuss the development of the platform and plans for its expansion.

News Archive

FASSET students on South Campus urged to ‘position themselves for success’

2016-08-31

Description: FASSET prize-giving Tags: FASSET prize-giving

Boniswa Segoe with Tshegofatso Setilo at the FASSET
prize-giving. Boniswa received two separate accolades
on the day for her academic achievements.
Photo: Charl Devenish

On 12 August 2016, 125 FASSET-funded students on South Campus were rewarded for their first-semester efforts during a ceremony “to celebrate hard work, dedication, and excellence”, according to Lerato Sekonyela, who chaired the event. FASSET is the Finance and Accounting Services Sector Education and Training Authority. This sector is the largest employer of people with financial skills. “One of FASSET’s many objectives is to develop the competence of employees, resulting not only in an incredible level of training , but also in an improvement in the quality of life for many,” according to Tshegofatso Setilo, Manager: University Preparation Programme at the South Campus.

Jean Grundling, Academic Head at South Campus, welcomed students, as well as the guests, tutors, and facilitators present, saying, “This is a milestone in your learning journey.” Quoting the words of Nelson Mandela, “A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination”, Grundling added, “Never stop learning, but also look at the compassion in your hearts.”

Tania Lee, projects director at FASSET, explained how funding is obtained from the financial sector. Ms Lee also expanded on the various projects FASSET is undertaking; from the lowest level, where schoolchildren are provided adequate career guidance, through TVET support by means of learnerships, to a full bursary scheme planned for next year.

Ms Lee advised: “Position yourself for success.” Using an analogy from an athletics event at the recent Rio Olympic Games, she exhorted students to take up a position like a runner in a relay race, poised and ready to sprint off after receiving the baton. She urged: “Aspire to become the heroes for our country.”

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