The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) recently launched a campaign entitled “Claim It”, urging South Africans to check if they are potential shareholders owed a portion of the R4.5 billion in unclaimed dividends.
The Claim It initiative is a collaborative effort between the JSE and some of the largest companies listed on the JSE, and aims to return unclaimed dividends to their rightful owners.
To achieve this, the JSE currently has access to 19 issuer share registries, and will try to reunite nearly 375 000 former employees, shareholders or beneficiaries of deceased estates with their unclaimed funds.
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There are various factors that contribute to people not knowing that they have unclaimed dividends owed to them.
These include people changing jobs, moving to a new address, or changing banking information without notifying listed companies. This, in turn, has made it difficult to verify beneficiaries, delaying the distribution of unclaimed funds.
How to check if you have unclaimed dividends
If you want to check whether you might be owed unclaimed dividends, simply visit the JSE website and complete the online form, or contact the JSE Claim It call centre on 0861 401 105.
You will need to provide a valid South African ID, proof of address, and your contact details (telephone number and email address).
The JSE will then verify whether the details provided correlate with those of the shareholders in the registries.
The 19 listed companies that the JSE has joined forces with to reconnect South Africans with their dividends are:
- African Media Entertainment Ltd
- Finbond Group Ltd
- Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon Ltd
- YeboYethu
- Advtech Ltd
- Cashbuild Ltd
- Super Group Ltd
- Naspers Ltd
- Mpact Ltd
- JSE Ltd
- Reunert Ltd
- Merafe Resources Ltd
- Northam Platinum Holdings Ltd
- Growthpoint Properties Ltd
- Old Mutual Ltd
- Sasol Ltd
- Sasol SA Ltd / Khanyisa
- Quilter PLC
- Sasol Inzalo
To further drive awareness of their Claim It campaign, the JSE has appointed Lucas Radebe as an ambassador of the campaign. Lucas is one of South Africa’s most respected and trusted sports figures, known for his legendary football career, charitable work and reputation as an icon of inclusivity, and embodies the values of trust and integrity that are central to this initiative.
For more information on the campaign, follow the JSE’s social media accounts on Facebook, X and LinkedIn.
This post was based on a press release issued on behalf of the JSE.