The newly approved Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) strategy for the period 2017 to 2021 is expected to grow the ratio of the BSE’s market capitalisation to GDP from 34 percent to 40 percent by 2021 as well as increase the number of domestic companies listed from 24 to 30 in the same period.
This was revealed by BSE Chief Executive Thapelo Tsheole when addressing the media this past week on the BSE annual listings conference to be held on March 9, 2017.
Tsheole stated that the target was to increase the number of foreign companies listed from 10 to 15 by 2021 as well as to increase the number of bonds listed to 50 in the period.
“We have plans to increase the number of Exchange Traded Products (ETPs), such as Exchange Traded Funds (ETFS), listed on the BSE from the current four to 10 by 2021,” he said.
He also spoke about increasing the number of asset classes available on the BSE from the current three to six by 2021. The BSE would increase the average daily turnover levels to P18.0 million per day by 2021, he said.
“We are ambitious in increasing the number of investors on the BSE from 78 193 as at the end of 2016 to 100 000 by 2021,” he revealed.
Meanwhile, he stated that this year, the theme of the upcoming conference is “The BSE as a gateway for raising capital”.
He added that the overall aim of the conference was to open up the BSE to the business community and bring together the Exchange, private companies with the potential to list, listed companies and experts in capital markets to discuss the value added to a private company as well as the listing process and requirements.
He is of the view that BSE recognises the fact that the survival of the Exchange is underpinned by its attractiveness towards not only investors, but also companies. He added that as such, the supply side of the market, being issuers of securities, has to be consistently nurtured.
“Because of this, it is essential that we as the BSE host this conference annually to spur interest and to maintain a large platform where we can address issues relating to raising capital by listing,” said Tsheole.
Tsheole stated that BSE has mainly invited small, medium, and large enterprises that are not listed to get to hear experiences of listed companies and how they used their listing to grow their companies.
He revealed that this year’s top sponsors are BIHL Group, Standard Chartered Bank Botswana BTCL, KPMG, BDC and Desai Law Group.
