Barend Kruger

Good afternoon, and a very warm welcome, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Ben Kruger. I'm the Lead Independent Director of the JSE. A particular welcome to our shareholders present in the room here at the JSE's offices in Sandown as well as those dialing in via the Zoom AGM platform. Welcome also to our guests and the media. We really do appreciate your time, and we like to engage with our stakeholders.

I have the pleasure of chairing the 21st AGM of the JSE as an incorporated company. Although, as you all know, the roots and history of the JSE stretched back 138 years to the earliest days of Johannesburg as a mining town. You might have been expecting the JSE Chairman, Mr. Phuthuma Nhleko to be sitting in his chair today, but he's unable to be present here today due to some personal circumstances and has asked me to chair this meeting.

I'm joined on the podium by several Board members. On my far right is Faith Khanyile, who chairs the Group Remuneration Committee. Next to me, Ms. Siobhan Cleary, the Group Sustainable Committee Chairman; seated on my right. On my left, our new Group CEO, Ms. Valdene Reddy. Val took office on 1 April, no fools joke following Leila's retirement and has already navigated the first board cycle and is bringing a huge amount of energy to the JSE.

We would like to thank Leila in her absence and Val today for what we regard as an exemplary transition in leadership at the JSE. Really well done to both of you, and thank you for all the