How to buy shares on the JSE: the route, in order
Shares on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) are bought through a broker, and held electronically. You give an order to a broker that is authorised to trade on the exchange, the broker deals, and the shares are recorded for you in the electronic register kept through Strate, the central securities depository. This page lays the route out in order.
A broker is the way in
Only authorised users of the exchange can deal on it. For an ordinary investor that means an account with a stockbroker or an online broker that is authorised by the JSE and supervised by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA). Check the authorisation with the regulator, not the broker's own website.
Brokers differ in what they charge, how they hold shares and what their platforms show. Those facts are not in the data this site reads, so none is printed.
Where the shares are recorded
Listed shares are held in dematerialised form: there is no paper certificate. They are recorded through a central securities depository participant, which is usually the broker or a bank, in a sub-account, on the Strate system. The account is in your name, or in the name of a nominee through which the broker holds shares for you; ask the broker which, because it decides who the company's register shows as the shareholder.
The statement from the broker or the participant is your record of what you hold.
The route, in order
Choose an authorised broker — Confirm the JSE authorisation and the FSCA supervision with the regulators.
Open the account — Identity and proof of address are the usual requirements; the broker's form lists its own.
Fund it — Transfer to the broker's client account as instructed and keep the reference.
Place an order — Name the share, the number of shares and, for a limit order, the highest price you will pay in cents.
Read the confirmation — It states the shares, the price, the costs and the settlement date. Check it against the order.
Check the holding after settlement — The shares should appear on the broker's or participant's statement.
What the board adds
Before an order the arithmetic is the same for every share: the number of shares times the price. On 6 November 2026, CPI closed at R4 897,71 (489 771c), so 100 shares come to R489 771,00 before brokerage and taxes.
At a glance
Read next
Questions before the first purchase
Can I buy JSE shares without a broker?
Not directly. Orders reach the exchange through authorised users; an ordinary investor opens an account with a broker.
Is there a paper share certificate?
No. Listed shares are held electronically and recorded through the central securities depository.
Who is the shareholder on the register?
You, or a nominee that holds shares on your behalf, depending on how the broker holds them. Ask the broker.
Does this site recommend a share?
No. It shows six companies' closes and ranges as read on the board.
Open an account with a broker you have checked
The account is where the order starts. Check the firm on the FSCA register and the JSE member list before you open one.