Risk Insights reaffirms ESG leadership amid JSE partnership and media misstatements

Risk Insights, Africa’s largest provider of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) data and ratings, has reaffirmed its leadership role in sustainability analytics following recent media misstatements regarding its collaboration with the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The company emphasized that its pioneering ESG GPS platform, developed with advanced artificial intelligence, continues to serve as a vital tool for listed companies, investors, and regulators seeking reliable insights into corporate sustainability performance.

Dear stakeholders,

Risk Insights is aware of the misleading statements made and published in the Media recently. As part of our commitment to you, our dear Stakeholders and the principles of the Constitution of a free South Africa, we would like to confirm that:

Risk Insights mission aligns with ESG Global sustainability agenda and the G20 Sustainability Agenda. Risk Insights is a data science company and provides comprehensive ESG and sustainability analytics and ratings to listed companies and investors, contributing to transparency, impact investing, and sustainable economic growth in South Africa and across the continent.

From  the Joint Press release of JSE and Risk Insights at signature of the deal: “The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and Risk Insights (RI), are collaborating to provide and use AI-powered data and rating tools developed by Risk Insights to advance Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosure for JSE listed companies and asset managers. … This initiative will provide issuers and investors with a better understanding and analysis of their impact on the environment while promoting impact investing, by offering listed companies with comprehensive ESG ratings, disclosure insights, and analytics, equipping them insights into sustainability. “Our commitment to broaden our capital markets through sustainable investment remains top of our agenda. The introduction of this offering to our clients puts data in their hands to fully assess the ESG of their investment decisions.  This will allow for a seamless flow ESG data, enabling informed decision-making for investors, analysts, and other stakeholders while increasing access to sustainable capital,” says Mark Randall, Director of Information Services at the JSE. As the largest ESG Data and ESG Ratings provider in Africa, Risk Insights has been the pioneering force in the field of data science and sustainability on the continent. Risk Insights has been at the forefront of revolutionising the ESG landscape, applying Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning’s advanced techniques to data and model building. In 2019 it launched its first machine learning and artificial intelligence ESG rating disclosure platform in Africa, now known as ESG GPS.  Developed using industry best practices and adapted to market realities, ESG GPS is specifically designed for listed companies in Africa. With this platform, RI has rated all listed companies across nine major African stock exchanges. Innovation is in Risk Insights’ DNA as the company continues its journey with clear commitment and motto of “Built for Africa by Africans” at the heart of everything the company does.”

Copy of the Press Release is available here https://riskinsights.co.za/jse-risk-insights-collaborate-provide-market-participants-data-led-esg-sustainability-analytics-and and here https://www.smetechguru.co.za/jse-risk-insights-collaborate-to-provide-market-participants-with-data-led-esg-sustainability-analytics-and-esg-ratings/   and was available here at https://www.jse.co.za/news/news/jse-risk-insights-collaborate-provide-market-participants-data-led-esg-sustainability#:~:text=The%20Johannesburg%20Stock%20Exchange%20(JSE,listed%20companies%20and%20asset%20managers

Risk Insights remains Africa’s largest ESG data and ESG ratings provider, delivering AI-powered sustainability solutions to support South African capital markets.

From day one Risk Insights has been engaging with the JSE in good faith. Senior executives from commercial team, including Mark Randall,  Barbara Arnold and other executives of the JSE were aware of matters under investigation (related to Anushka Bogdanov) by Market / Regulatory Team of JSE (Andre Visser and Nadia Jada) prior to contract implementation which was from 01 April 2025.

While being aware of the “above investigation”, JSE approached over 65 JSE-listed companies for meetings on ESG for the new partnership, JSE and Risk Insights had over 20 joint meetings with various JSE-listed companies, including JSE Top 40 and asset managers.

Risk Insights did not have in its possession a valid termination or cease-and-desist notice from JSE on or before August 20th, 2025. Risk Insights is not in a position to comment on other documents (including with wrong and/or future dates) that were received by the company from its counter-parties.

We contacted media houses that published incorrect information and requested to publish our position with corrections. We are looking forward to receiving such confirmations on that while some media houses have made corrections.

We welcome all stakeholders, including media houses interest in Risk Insights and how an SME has risen to the largest ESG Data and Ratings provider for the continent.