Stock Market Integration in Africa: The Case of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and Selected African Countries

Abstract

African stock markets are deemed to be small, segmented and illiquid. Given this back ground, the study utilises monthly data for the period 2000-2008, employing the Johansen and Julius cointegration method to determine the long-run relationship between the five selected African stock markets. Granger causality tests were also conducted to establish if there are any causal links between the stock markets in Africa. The analysis in the study indicates that African stock markets are improving in performance, generally, growing and developing. However empirical results indicate that African markets are segmented. Further analysis to determine the relationship between the five selected African stock markets and the world stock markets shows that African stock markets are affected by developments in the international markets. Hence, portfolio diversification opportunities exist in the African stock markets suggesting that investors should also consider investing in their African countries as they offer opportunities rather than considering investing in the international markets only.