Before he could trade, Thabo had to go through the . It was simpler than he expected. Using his phone, he uploaded: A digital copy of his South African ID .

As the months passed, Thabo watched the market's "rhythm." He saw his portfolio dip when global oil prices spiked and rise when local companies reported strong dividends. He learned that while the share price might bounce around, the Total Shareholder Return (TSR) —which includes reinvested dividends—was where the real wealth was built.

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It was a Tuesday at 10:00 AM. The JSE was in its "Continuous Trading" session, which runs from 9:00 AM to 4:50 PM on weekdays. Thabo decided to start with something familiar: a .

A recent (his utility bill from last month).Within 48 hours, his account was verified and ready for his first deposit. Step 3: Placing the First Order

: Instead of picking one company, he bought a "basket" of the 40 largest companies on the exchange, giving him instant diversification.

: He discovered modern apps like EasyEquities and Standard Bank's Online Share Trading .

: He was thrilled to find that some platforms allowed fractional share investing , meaning he could buy R100 worth of a share even if the full share price was R1,000. Step 2: The FICA Hurdle