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What are JSE shares? 

The JSE is South Africa’s big “marketplace” where people buy and sell parts of companies.

A share is basically a small piece of a company.
When you buy a share, you own a tiny part of that company.

Simple example

Imagine a company is like a big cake.
The cake is cut into many small slices.
Each slice is a share.

When you buy a slice, you own part of the cake.

Why do people buy shares?

To make money. Two ways:

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1. The share price goes up – You sell it later for more than you paid.

2. Dividends – Some companies share part of their profit with you.

 

Why does the price go up or down?

Just like anything in a market:

If many people want to buy → price goes up

If many people want to sell → price goes down

Also, company news and performance affect prices.

Why do companies sell shares?

To get money to grow their business.

So in one sentence:

Buying JSE shares means you’re buying small pieces of South African companies so that your money can grow over time