The South African Reserve Bank named KwaZulu-Natal’s Michaelhouse as the winner of its 2026 Monetary Policy Committee Schools Challenge. Hoërskool Garsfontein placed second and Bridge House College third. Each member of the winning team will receive a full bursary, subject to meeting the applicable criteria, as well as a cash prize and an iPad. More than 180 schools entered by submitting monetary policy statements, with 10 finalist teams presenting and defending their interest rate decisions before a panel of senior South African Reserve Bank economists. The competition, open to Grade 12 learners studying economics and pure mathematics, is designed to develop understanding of monetary policy and central banking.