The Johannesburg Stock Exchange began trading in South Africa in 1887.
The exchange was established during the gold-rush development of the Witwatersrand. Gold discoveries near Johannesburg attracted capital, mining companies, engineers, and investors, creating demand for an organized market in mining shares.
On November 8, 1887, the Johannesburg Exchange and Chambers Company opened for business. Its early activity was strongly tied to gold-mining finance, although the exchange later broadened to include industrial, financial, and other companies.
The exchange has changed location and technology several times during its history. It moved from open-outcry dealing toward electronic trading and became South Africa's principal securities market. Its main equity benchmark is the FTSE/JSE All Share Index, which covers a broad portion of the companies listed on the market. The exchange is commonly abbreviated JSE, and its official corporate name is JSE Limited.