The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has announced the listing of the Cartesian EasyETFs Balanced AMETF, a newly structured actively managed exchange-traded fund (AMETF) aimed at delivering diversified long-term growth for both retail and institutional investors.
The listing reflects growing demand for accessible, transparent and regulated multi-asset investment vehicles amid evolving capital market dynamics in South Africa.
The Cartesian EasyETFs Balanced AMETF (ticker: CARTBL) debuted on the JSE’s Main Board on 20 January 2026, alongside the Absa Cartesian Absolute Income Actively Managed Certificate (AMC), marking another milestone in the expansion of listed investment solutions available on Africa’s largest stock exchange.
Designed as an “everyday portfolio companion”, the Cartesian EasyETFs Balanced AMETF combines a diversified investment strategy with the liquidity and transparency of an exchange-listed product.
It seeks to generate long-term capital growth by allocating across a broad spectrum of asset classes, including South African and international equities, fixed income, money-market instruments, property-linked securities and alternative assets.
The fund’s strategy adheres to Regulation 28 of the Pension Funds Act, which governs prudent asset allocation for retirement and long-term savings products in South Africa.
Compliance with this regulation makes the AMETF suitable for inclusion in pension funds, retirement annuities and other regulated investment vehicles.
Asset managers and advisers have welcomed the Cartesian AMETF as an accessible multi-asset solution that can serve as a core holding within diversified portfolios.
The product blends the professional oversight of active management with the tradeability and operational efficiency of ETFs, a combination that industry observers say helps democratize access to more sophisticated investment strategies.
According to Anthea Gardner, CEO of Cartesian Capital, the dual listings of the AMETF and the AMC respond to growing client demand for “transparent and easily accessible actively managed investment solutions” that advisers, discretionary fund managers and direct investors can integrate into advised and discretionary portfolios.
Adèle Hattingh, Business Development and Exchange Traded Products Manager at the JSE, said the Cartesian EasyETFs Balanced AMETF illustrates the exchange’s strategic focus on innovation and expanded investor choice.
She highlighted that actively managed ETFs provide regulated exposure to diversified strategies within a single listed instrument, a feature that enables efficient portfolio construction and increased market participation.
The Cartesian listing brings the total number of ETFs on the JSE to 127, with a combined market value exceeding ZAR 259 billion, underscoring the continued growth of the exchange’s ETF ecosystem.
Actively managed exchange-traded funds represent one of the fastest-growing segments of the JSE’s product suite, spurred by regulatory reforms that have encouraged the adoption of listed active products alongside traditional passive ETFs and unit trusts.
Market participants note that AMETFs are rapidly gaining traction because they offer the flexibility of active management, where portfolio managers make discretionary allocation decisions based on market conditions, combined with the cost efficiency, liquidity and transparency inherent in exchange-traded structures.
This structural shift aligns with a broader evolution in the South African investment landscape, where advisors and asset managers are increasingly incorporating listed active solutions as complementary tools to traditional unit trusts and index-tracking funds.
For retail investors, the Cartesian EasyETFs Balanced AMETF offers a way to access a multi-asset strategy without the complexity historically associated with actively managed funds.
Its listed format means investors can buy and sell shares throughout the trading day, enjoying greater flexibility and real-time pricing.
Institutional investors, including pension funds and discretionary portfolios, benefit from the fund’s Regulation 28 compliance and broad asset class exposure, which can help meet diversified investment objectives within mandated risk parameters.
The listing of Cartesian’s AMETF follows a pattern of expanding product innovation on the JSE.
Past launches include a range of actively managed ETFs, such as those offering global equity exposure and balanced multi-asset strategies, reflecting investor appetite for diversified, outcome-oriented solutions.
As a result, financial advisers and institutional allocators are increasingly equipped with a richer set of tools to build portfolios that align with both long-term growth aspirations and risk management priorities.
The JSE’s emphasis on broadening investor choice, from traditional equities and derivatives to advanced ETF structures, reinforces its position as a leading financial marketplace on the African continent and a key conduit for international capital flows.
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