As South Africa’s licenced Central Securities Depository (CSD), Strate is entrusted to mitigate risk and bring efficiencies to South Africa’s financial markets. It is our responsibility to be pro-active and drive our financial markets through Strate’s projects and initiatives.
The company places the needs of the financial market as a high-level priority. We pride ourselves in managing risks in such a way that in everything the company does, it leaves nothing to chance.
Strate continues to engage with key players and deliver solutions that support the industry’s risk-mitigation objectives. Considering the events our industry has endured both locally and globally since 2007, Strate cannot afford to take risks as a Financial Markets Infrastructure (FMI). There is no doubt that the past five years took the wind from the global market’s sails as it entered uncharted rough seas, yet locally, the South African financial market has shown its resilience.
Innovative and responsive services
It is truly an honour to be at the helm of Strate and collaborate with the industry to create innovative and responsive services in the interest of achieving a common goal: To enhance the stability and sustainability of the financial system.
Our company faces a number of new reforms from local and international regulatory bodies, such as the new recommended principles from the Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems (CPSS) and the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). I’m pleased to report that Strate has, since its inception, always sought to embed best practice in all it does and this already ensures very high levels of alignment to the Principles.
Strate will continue to leverage off the relationships it has with stakeholders as we navigate through this period of transformation together. With new regulations coming to the fore to de-risk the financial system, financial institutions have a tough task ahead. They need to raise returns on equity, retain cash on their balance sheets and maintain profitability when they face greater competition and are legally required to meet capital and higher liquidity ratios.
Although we face a number of challenges together, I look forward to the journey ahead. I am confident that Strate and its stakeholders will move forward as a collective and continue to showcase the robust strength and durability of the South African financial market as we invest in the South Africa of tomorrow.
Delivering risk management and stakeholder value
From a business perspective, I am very proud of the initiatives we have brought to the drawing board. As these come to fruition, Strate and its CSD Participants will adopt pioneering projects that propose to change the South African electronic post-trade environment and risk-management landscape. Two such initiatives include the proposed launch of a Tri-Party Collateral Management service and the introduction of Segregated Depository Accounts (SDAs), both of which aim to further de-risk the South African financial markets, protect collateral, enhance transparency and liquidity, while addressing costs and inefficiencies.
Risk management and stakeholder value is the lifeblood of Strate and our team invests a wealth of time and dedication into delivering results that meet our core purpose.
Strate is proud to live beyond a bottom-line approach, passionately giving back to society with initiatives that have changed lives over the years. It is in our DNA to embrace corporate socio-economic investment initiatives wholeheartedly and staff members, along with their families, adopt these regularly by participating in community outreach programmes. Strate continues to support South African charities. It is very rewarding to be associated with the good causes that they stand for.
We would like to thank each and every individual at Strate for their support of these organisations, such as Bread of Life Ministries, Cell C Day, Choc Childhood Cancer Foundation, Cornucopia , Ebenezer Care Centre, IsiZulu Tour, JAG Foundation, JSE/Liberty Life Investment Challenge, Kgosi Neighbourhood Foundation, Outlier Programme, Rose of Sharon Day Care Centre, Sekolo Sa Borokgo, Serenity, Shoshana Foundation, Smile Foundation, Thuthuka Bursary Fund, Valued Citizen (Strate Siyakhula) and Zondi Community.
Ultimately, I’d like to thank everyone at Strate for their loyalty, dedication and passion. Together, we acknowledge and express our gratitude towards our clients, shareholders, partners and other stakeholders who continue to support us.
Monica Singer
CEO, Strate Ltd.
