South Africa Stock Market Crosses105,000 Points in New Record

BREAKING NEWSSeptember 17, 2025 at 8:44 AM UTC

TLDR

The JSE All Share Index (Alsi) hit a new intraday record above 105,000 points on Tuesday before ending the session slightly lower at 104,885
The index traded as high as 105,486 points around 9 am and remained above the milestone for most of the day before slipping below at 4:15 pm
ASP Isotopes led gains, rising more than 6%. Pan African Resources climbed 5.5%, MTN gained 5.5%, Premier advanced 4.4%, and Telkom added 3%

The JSE All Share Index (Alsi) hit a new intraday record above 105,000 points on Tuesday before ending the session slightly lower at 104,885. The index traded as high as 105,486 points around 9 am and remained above the milestone for most of the day before slipping below at 4:15 pm.

ASP Isotopes led gains, rising more than 6%. Pan African Resources climbed 5.5%, MTN gained 5.5%, Premier advanced 4.4%, and Telkom added 3%.

Anchor Capital’s Peter Little noted the rally has been driven by a narrow set of stocks. Gold miners, up 159% year-to-date, have contributed 43% to the index’s performance. Platinum shares, up 118%, added 14%, while Naspers and Prosus, each up 43%, contributed 22%. Together, these groups account for 80% of Alsi’s gains this year despite comprising only 30% of the index.

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Key Takeaways

South Africa’s equity rally underscores the country’s exposure to global commodity cycles. Elevated gold and platinum prices, coupled with gains in telcos and large-cap tech firms Naspers and Prosus, have propelled the Alsi 36% higher in U.S. dollar terms year-to-date — outpacing emerging-market peers, which are up around 24%. Yet the index’s strength masks weakness across domestically focused sectors. Discretionary retailers are down 23% this year, general retailers have slipped 5%, and banks and insurers are only modestly positive, reflecting a sluggish local economy. Analysts warn that South Africa is benefitting disproportionately from commodity windfalls while average businesses face weak demand, high borrowing costs, and low growth. The concentration of gains in a handful of resource and tech names raises questions about the sustainability of the rally. Should commodity prices reverse, the index could face sharp corrections, leaving locally geared sectors as the only source of potential upside if economic conditions improve.

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