JSE Index Dips 1.1% as Byte Technology, FirstRand Dive
South Africa: Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) index dipped on Thursday as the share prices of Byte Technology Group and FirstRand dived amid selling pressure.
Alexandar Forbes Group Holdings was the top gainer, up 3.97% on the day amid positioning. Share price in MTN Group increased, lifting the telecom company’s market value by 1.94%
SASOL gained 1.59%, Glencore rose by 1.20%, and Hosken Cons Investment Limited’s share price climbed by 1.14%. Top decliners include Byte Technology, which shed 4.06%, FirstRand dipped by 3.47%, and Datatec lost 3.16%.
Ninety one Limited dropped by 2.89%, the same price depreciation was shared by Resileint Reit Limited, according to JSE data cited by First National Bank in its update.
The JSE All Share Index (ASI) declined 1.10%, snapping a three-day rally as investor optimism around the fragile US-Iran ceasefire faded, First National Bank (FNB) said in a note.
Adding to the negative tone, February manufacturing production fell 2.8% year on year and 2.2% month on month, both significantly worse than economists’ expectations.
The Top 40 fell 1.09%, while the Financials Index led losses, down 1.93%, pressured by a 2.29% decline in the banks, FNB said.
Industrials shed 1.21%, dragged down by Naspers, which fell 2.8% and was the largest contributor to the Top 40’s decline. Resources proved the most resilient, slipping just 0.27%.
Bytes Technology Group (BYI) received notification that JPMorgan Chase & Co. acquired a beneficial interest in the company, increasing its holdings to 5.08% of the total issued ordinary shares (previous on record: 5.02%) as of 2 April 2026
Standard Bank Group (SBK) disclosed that several executives sold ordinary shares in early April 2026. Prescribed Officer (PO), Luyanda James Masinda, who sold 9,700 shares for R3,003,641.75 on 7 April 2026 and a further 12,000 shares for R3,966,600.00 on 8 April 2026.
Chief Operating Officer (COO), Margaret Nienaber, sold 32,000 shares for a total value of R10.70 million on 8 April 2026; and PO, Funeka Montjane, sold 65,125 shares for a total value of R20.22 million on 7 April 2026.
FNB said in its market update that despite a generally positive tone across Asian markets this morning, the JSE is set for a cautious open as investors continue to assess the stability of the current ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran.
Market analysts said Tencent is trading slightly lower by 0.69%, which could signal a negative read-through for Naspers and Prosus. In addition, the S&P/ASX 300 Metals & Mining Index is also under pressure, slipping 0.59%, signalling early headwinds for local resource counters.
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