BESA should be congratulated for the role it played in the development of South Africa’s bond market. In the more than 10 years of its existence, BESA played a prominent role in advancing South Africa to its position as one of the most liquid and developed amongst global bond markets, and a leader in emerging markets.
This fact is clearly illustrated by the significant rise in turnover in recent years, from R9, 5 trillion in 1998 to R19, 1 trillion in 2008. The World Federation of Exchanges places BESA as the fourth largest exchange in terms of turnover recorded for bond trades in 2008.