JSE Lists South Africa’s First Actively Managed China-Focused ETF

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has listed the Prescient China Balanced Feeder Actively Managed Exchange Traded Fund (AMETF), trading under the ticker PANDA. The fund is the first actively managed ETF in South Africa designed specifically to provide investors with exposure to Chinese markets. The ETF aims to achieve long-term capital growth by investing primarily in the Prescient China Balanced Fund. This international fund provides diversified exposure to Chinese assets, including equities, government and corporate bonds, and money market instruments. Through Prescient’s investment licence, the strategy can also access China’s onshore markets. Although the portfolio is mainly focused on mainland China, it may also allocate capital to global equities, bonds, currencies, and other international instruments when these opportunities enhance returns or support portfolio risk management. The ETF is designed for investors seeking geographic diversification and exposure to the world’s second-largest economy while maintaining the convenience of trading through a local brokerage account on the JSE. Structured as a feeder fund, the ETF invests entirely in the Prescient China Balanced Fund, a UCITS-compliant vehicle domiciled in Ireland. The underlying fund targets long-term returns exceeding China’s consumer price index by more than 3 percent annually, although returns are not guaranteed. The listing comes as South Africa’s ETF market continues to expand. In 2025, the segment grew by approximately 29 percent year-on-year, adding about R60 billion in market capitalisation. The JSE currently hosts 132 listed ETFs with a combined market capitalisation exceeding R261 billion.