Ghana Stock Exchange Seeks Regional Expansion Through New Pan-African Trading Platform
The Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) is positioning itself to offer equity investment opportunities across the continent by integrating into a new technological platform aimed at connecting African stock exchanges and brokerage firms.
The platform, which is part of the African Exchanges Linkage Program under the African Securities Exchanges Association (ASEA), is set to onboard over 2,000 listed companies and reach a market capitalisation of over $1.5 trillion.
Abena Amoah, Managing Director of the GSE, made the announcement at the Exchange’s 34th Anniversary Celebration, revealing that the GSE plans to be live on the platform by the end of 2025, adding that this initiative is part of broader efforts to utilize technology to drive inclusive growth and wealth creation for Ghanaians.
“This platform will offer diversification opportunities for investors in Africa,” said Ms. Amoah. “It is our expectation that the GSE will go live on this platform by the end of 2025. These are all important initiatives we are taking using technology to drive inclusive and transformational growth, as well as wealth creation for Ghanaians.”
The theme of the anniversary celebration, “Leveraging Digital Technologies for Inclusive Capital Market Growth,” highlighted the Exchange’s ongoing commitment to digital transformation. Ms. Amoah emphasized that embracing digital tools has become essential to achieving the GSE’s mission of creating accessible, transparent, and efficient capital markets that can accelerate the country’s economic growth.
Reflecting on the Exchange’s journey, Ms. Amoah pointed out that the GSE’s transformation began in 2008 when it digitized the ownership of securities. Since then, the Exchange has rolled out a series of technological innovations, including the introduction of automated trading systems in 2009 and the launch of the first digital Initial Public Offering (IPO) for MTN Ghana in 2018.
This IPO attracted over 100,000 retail investors and earned the GSE the “Most Innovative Stock Market in Africa” award.
The GSE continues to focus on integrating technology into its operations, providing APIs for digital trading platforms such as TradeLive, Cedi Manager, SecondSTAX, and the GSE Market Watch. These platforms offer retail investors the ability to trade and invest on the go through mobile-based solutions, which aim to connect individual investors, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and corporations to Ghana’s capital market.
Furthering its commitment to operational efficiency, the GSE attained ISO 27001 and ISO 22301 certifications in 2023, affirming its adherence to global standards for information security and business continuity management systems.
Ms. Amoah also highlighted the importance of regional integration, mentioning three key initiatives. The first is the SecondSTAX platform, which facilitates cross-border trading between Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and potentially other African markets.
The second initiative, the West African Capital Markets Integration Project, aims to harmonize trading and capital market raising rules across West African securities exchanges.
“As we look ahead, our goal is to continue leveraging technology to foster deeper integration of regional and African capital markets,” Ms. Amoah concluded.
The Ghana Stock Exchange remains committed to digital innovation, with an eye on broader pan-African integration to create a more inclusive financial ecosystem that fosters growth for Ghana and the continent at large.
