The Future of Namibia’s Financial Market: The Role of a Central Securities Depository

An article by Nedbank Namibia Investor Services, Global & Treasury Operations Senior Manager, Eunice Tjituka

12 December 2024 Namibia’s financial market is poised for a significant transformation with the introduction of the Central Securities Depository (CSD), a critical infrastructure approved by the Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (NAMFISA) on March 8, 2024. As a cornerstone of modern financial systems, the CSD promises to revolutionize the issuance, settlement, safekeeping, and corporate servicing of financial instruments by transitioning these processes into an electronic and dematerialized environment.

Why the CSD Matters

The CSD represents a pivotal step in enhancing Namibia’s financial market efficiency, transparency, and security. By replacing manual, paper-based processes with streamlined digital systems, it aims to minimize risks, bolster investor confidence, and strengthen overall market stability.

Key Benefits for Custodians Like Nedbank Namibia

Nedbank Namibia, through its Investor Services division, serves as a custodian bank for domestic and international institutional investors. With the current manual environment prone to inefficiencies and risks, the CSD introduces significant improvements in three core areas:

1. Streamlined Settlement with Delivery Versus Payment (DVP):

Currently, securities settlements in Namibia rely on manual processes, exposing transactions to counterparty risk. The CSD ensures simultaneous exchange of securities and cash, achieving DVP and Receipt Versus Payment (RVP) status. This reduces settlement risks and fosters confidence in the financial system.

2. Secure Electronic Safekeeping:

Transitioning from physical safekeeping to an electronic environment eliminates the risks of loss, misplacement, or misrepresentation of securities. The CSD will act as the definitive record for securities ownership, reducing settlement cycles and errors, while enabling real-time reconciliation and fraud prevention.

3. Efficient Corporate Actions:

Manual processes for activities like income collection, dividend distribution, and proxy voting will be streamlined, ensuring higher accuracy and reliability. This not only promotes investor confidence but also enhances data accuracy across the market.

Broader Market-Wide Benefits

Beyond its impact on custodian banks, the CSD introduces systemic advantages for the entire Namibian financial ecosystem:

• Efficient Issuer Services: The CSD will manage the issuance of securities, including assigning International Securities Identification Numbers (ISINs), ensuring seamless operations in both primary and secondary markets.

• Enhanced Market Transparency: By maintaining accurate records of securities ownership and transactions, the CSD supports fair and efficient market operations, enabling detailed scrutiny by investors and regulators.

• Reduced Systemic Risks: The digitized settlement process minimizes delays, inaccuracies, and errors in ownership and income allocation, mitigating risks associated with the current manual environment.

• Improved Market Liquidity: Swift and accurate transaction handling will shorten settlement cycles, boost market activity, and deepen capital market participation.

A Milestone for Namibia’s Financial Market

The introduction of the CSD marks a critical milestone in advancing Namibia’s financial sector. As a key market participant, Nedbank Namibia recognizes the transformative potential of this development. By modernizing financial operations, the CSD will deepen market participation, enhance market stability, and provide the reliability necessary for sustainable growth. In an era where efficient financial infrastructure is a cornerstone of economic success, Namibia’s adoption of a CSD is not just an upgrade-it is a leap forward.