The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) Group and the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) have signed an agreement making the BSE the first African exchange to join the Tabadul cross-border trading hub, establishing a direct capital markets link between the Middle East and Africa.
Under the agreement, the BSE becomes Tabadul's 11th member, with the integration enabling investors across the Middle East to trade BSE-listed instruments via local brokerages and vice versa through a single gateway. Launched in 2022 by ADX and the Bahrain Bourse, Tabadul now connects markets with a combined capitalisation exceeding USD 1 trillion, more than 700 listed companies, and over 11 million registered investors. The platform is experiencing record momentum – trading value has reached AED 13.5 billion so far in 2026, already surpassing total volumes recorded across the entirety of 2025.
The BSE, headquartered in Gaborone, is Botswana's sole exchange and Africa's third largest by market capitalisation, hosting 33 listed companies, 121 bonds, and eight ETFs. Founded in 1989, the exchange crossed the P1 trillion market capitalisation milestone for the first time in May this year – roughly 2.5 times Botswana's GDP – underscoring the significance of its entry into a platform designed to deepen regional liquidity and broaden investor access to high-growth markets.
Gulf Economist Staff Writer