The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) is privately owned and funded, and governed by a board of directors. Its activities are licensed and regulated by two Acts of Parliament, namely the Stock Exchanges Control Act, 1985, which governs the equities markets, and the Financial Markets Control Act, 1989, which governs the derivatives markets.
In keeping with international practice, the JSE Ltd also acts as regulator of its members and ensures that markets operate in a transparent way, ensuring investor protection. Similarly, issuers of securities must comply with the JSE Ltd listings requirements, which aim to ensure sufficient disclosure of all information relevant to investors.
The JSE was established in 1887 and became a member of the World Federation of Exchanges in 1963. It is currently the largest stock exchange in Africa, and the 16th largest in terms of market capitalisation and trading volume in the world. It has some 480 listed companies on the exchange with a total market capitalisation of approximately US$580 billion.
