Johannesburg Stock Exchange

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange is the largest in Africa and is one of the top twenty major exchanges in the world. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange is presently the 16th largest stock exchange worldwide.
The Johannesburg Stock Exchange is completely electronic, utilizing the JET System (Johannesburg Equities Trading), and is planning to construct a pan-African exchange by allowing investors to trade in shares from Ghana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, hoping to later include the rest of Africa.

In 2003, The Johannesburg Stock Exchange had an estimated 472 listed companies and a market capitalization of US$182.6 billion (&158 billion) as well as an average monthly traded value of US$ 6,399 million (&5.5 billion).

As of 30 September 2006, the market capitalization of The Johannesburg Stock Exchange was at US$579.1 billion. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange is governed by an honorary committee of 16 people with total voting rights.

History and Origin

In 1886, the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand led to a boom in mining and financial companies; a stock exchange was soon needed. A London businessman, Benjamin Minors Woollan, formed the Johannesburg Exchange & Chambers Company at the corner of Commissioner and Simmonds Streets on November 8, 1887. By 1890, trading moved into the street because the trading hall had become too small. In 1903 The Johannesburg Stock Exchange moved to a new building on Hollard Street. After World War II, the exchange had once again outgrown its building and moved to a new one.

In February 1961, the second exchange at Hollard Street was officially launched. In 1963, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange took membership of the Federation International Bourses de Valeurs (FIBV). In 1978, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange shifted to 17 Diagonal Street near Kerk Street, Johannesburg. In 1993, the Exchange became a working member of the African Stock Exchanges Association.

In September 2000, the Johannesburg Securities Exchange shifted once again to its current location in Sandton, Gauteng, and became known as the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Limited.

Market Indices

Top 40, Gold Mining, All Share, Oil and Gas Index, JSE SRI Index, Mid Cap, JSE FINI, INDUSTRIAL, Small Cap, Media Index, All Share ex Res., Financial and Ind. 30, Resource 20, and Industrial Index etc. are some of the most important indices on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

Market Capitalization

In 2003, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Limited had 472 listed companies and a market capitalization of $182.6 billion, plus a standard monthly traded value of $6.4 billion. As of 2006, the exchange's market capitalization stood at $579.1 billion. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange Limited is currently the 16th most important in the World. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange Limited enrolls shares on two separate markets, the Mainboard and AltX. In August 1997, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange inaugurated the real-time Stock Exchange News Service (Sens) to improve market transparency and investor confidence. The largest shares of market capitalization of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange come from the mining industry.

Major Companies listed:

• ABSA Group Limited
• ACC-ROSS Holdings Limited
• Kagiso Media Limited
• LA Group Limited
• Harmony Gold Mining Company
• Barlo World Limited
• ELB Group Limited
• CBS Property Portfolio Limited
• Datacentrix Holdings Limited
• Edgars Consolidated Stores Limited

Top Investors

• African Bank Investments Limited
• Barplats Investments Limited
• Sekunjalo Investments Limited
• Palabora Mining Company Limited
• Nampak Limited
• Brimstone Investment Corporation Limited
• Martprop Property Fund
• Calulo Property Fund Limited
• Acucap Properties Limited
• Mercantile Bank Limited

Location Details

Exchange Square
Gwen Lane
Sandown, Sandton
Johannesburg
South Africa
E-mail: corpcomm@jse.co.za
Mail: Private Bag X991174, SANDTON, 2146
Tel: (011) 520 7000/7301