By Decio Cosme, Head of Sales, SmartStream
Last week, we had the pleasure of welcoming our clients and industry peers to SmartStream Connect South Africa in Johannesburg and Cape Town. The events brought together key voices from across the capital markets landscape to discuss innovation, shared infrastructure, and operational efficiency. Among the perspectives shared, Brett Kotze, Head of Post Trade Services at A2X Markets, offered timely insights on optimising market efficiency through shared infrastructure.
Brett highlighted the ongoing need to reduce cost and friction across the post-trade value chain. His emphasis on shared infrastructure wasn’t about adding complexity, but about removing duplication, streamlining connectivity, and enabling fairer access to markets. He referenced the example of SWIFT as a centralised messaging infrastructure that works because of its neutrality and industry-wide adoption.
A key takeaway from Brett’s remarks was the importance of equitable participation, ensuring that infrastructure is efficient without relying on larger firms to subsidise smaller players. The right model encourages efficiencies at scale, with shared benefits for all market participants.
These principles strongly resonate with what we’re seeing in areas like corporate actions processing. As Brett noted, shared infrastructure is most effective when it eliminates duplication and manual handling, something that’s especially critical in the highly complex world of corporate actions. This is a space where inconsistent data, fragmented communication, and tight deadlines leave firms exposed to unnecessary risk.
At SmartStream, our Corporate Actions Processing solution is designed to address precisely these pain points. By centralising event data, standardising workflows, and offering automation across the lifecycle, we help firms significantly reduce operational risk and achieve greater accuracy. In markets where volumes are rising and timelines are shrinking, this kind of shared, intelligent infrastructure is no longer optional, it’s essential.
Likewise, our Collateral Management solution continues to support firms seeking better visibility and real-time control over margin and exposure, another area where efficiency and automation are becoming mission-critical.
Brett’s insights echo a broader industry shift: as capital markets evolve, collaborative infrastructure is becoming essential. It enables faster settlement, better data management, and greater transparency, helping firms focus on what really matters.
The dialogue was rich, and the insights practical. We’re proud to continue supporting this market with the technology and partnerships that make a difference.
