South Africa’s listed companies fell to 212 companies in 2025.

Higher is better. A larger number of listed companies gives savers more businesses to invest in and gives firms more ways to raise money by selling shares. That is why a higher count is better. The latest figure, 212 companies in January 2025, is down from 220 companies a year earlier, a fall of 3.6%. It is the lowest count since 2016, and the highest in that span was 303 companies in January 2016.

Why it matters. For households, a smaller list means fewer local companies for pension funds and retail investors to hold, so savings are spread across fewer names. For firms, a thinner market offers fewer peers to be compared with and fewer buyers for new share issues. For the state, a shrinking list narrows the base of publicly reported company accounts that investors and regulators can see.