Opening a broker and CSD account

Buying or selling a listed share needs an account with an ECMA-licensed broker and a securities account at the central securities depository. These are the steps, in order. Abren is not a broker, opens no account, and takes no part in any of this.

1. Confirm the licence first

   Only a firm licensed by the Ethiopian Capital Market Authority may accept an order for a listed security. Confirm that a firm holds a current ECMA licence before sending it documents or money, and take that confirmation from ECMA rather than from the firm.

2. Apply to the broker

   The broker opens the account. What it asks for, what it charges, and any minimum are the broker’s to state — ask for them in writing before signing anything.

3. The securities account at the CSD

   Listed shares are dematerialised: there is no certificate, and a holding exists as a record in a securities account at the central securities depository. Ask the broker how that account is opened, what identifies it, and how to obtain a statement of it.

4. Placing an order

   An order reaches the exchange through the broker and never directly. Ask how orders are accepted, how a completed order is confirmed back to you, and what each trade costs.

5. Keep the paperwork

   Keep whatever the broker sends you when a trade completes, and whatever record the CSD gives you of what you hold. Those are what a holding is checked against later — including anything entered on this site.

This page describes the shape of the process, not any one firm’s requirements. Documents, minimums, charges and timings differ between brokers and change over time; take them from the broker and from ECMA, never from here.