Pretoria (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) - the financial heart of South Africa and the largest stock exchange in Africa - on the morning of November 21 (local time) as part of his trip to South Africa for the G20 Summit and bilateral activities.
The JSE is ranked around 19th–20th globally by market capitalisation, with a total of about 23 trillion ZAR (1.25 trillion USD) as of October 2025. The exchange lists 435 companies, with an average monthly trading value of 6-7 billion USD.
Established in 1887, the JSE plays a central role in South Africa’s economy, supporting capital mobilisation, job creation and investment. It is not only a symbol of Africa’s financial development but also a key gateway for global investors, particularly in mining and natural resources.
Alongside its main board for large enterprises, the JSE operates a dedicated platform for small and medium-sized firms with potential for high growth. In addition to equities, it offers a wide range of complex financial instruments, including derivatives linked to securities, currencies and commodities, and hosts Africa’s largest listed debt market. This model is of particular interest to Vietnam as it seeks to deepen its capital market.
During his working session with Dr Leila Fourie, Group CEO at the JSE, PM Chinh noted that Vietnam’s stock market had recently been upgraded from frontier to secondary emerging market status. Noting that Vietnam is also developing an International Financial Centre in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, he expressed Vietnam’s desire to cooperate and learn from the JSE’s management expertise to ensure the healthy, transparent, stable and sustainable development of its capital market.
The PM affirmed Vietnam’s commitment to maintaining macroeconomic stability, controlling inflation and ensuring the major balances of the economy. He said Vietnam’s GDP growth in 2025 is expected to exceed 8%, with the country targeting double-digit growth in subsequent years.
To promote a robust and sustainable stock market, he proposed that both sides prioritise cooperation in product and market development, support the establishment of the international financial centre in Vietnam, advance digital transformation, encourage greater portfolio investment inflows, and share experience in developing and operating exchanges for real estate, gold and other assets.
Dr Fourie commended Vietnam’s impressive socio-economic achievements, particularly its strong GDP growth. She noted the many similarities between South Africa and Vietnam, emphasising that capital markets will remain a foundation for economic expansion. She affirmed the JSE’s readiness to pursue the cooperative initiatives outlined by the Vietnamese Government leader./.
