Easy does it

At the end of another financial year at EasyEquities in a few days, our Carel Nolte finds himself reflecting on the journey he has been on with Easy, the people who’ve made it possible and the work that still lies ahead.

A Company of Enablers

My role as Chief Enablement Officer is exactly that: to enable. Day-to-day it’s marketing and HR, but the real job is helping our team achieve their personal goals alongside those of the company. That means sorting out issues, supporting initiatives, getting stuck in where needed and ensuring our high-performing team can be the best versions of themselves.

One of the best things about EasyEquities is that, for self-starters, it’s a place where you can craft your own destiny. We’re not big on rigid career paths or paternalistic HR processes. Instead, we back agile innovators and initiators. We’ve built a culture of meritocracy — work hard, play hard, and stay single-minded about our mission: helping everyone to grow and to protect their wealth.

From One Wallet to a Wealth Ecosystem

When we started nearly 11 years ago, there was just one wallet — South African shares on the JSE. Today, the platform offers USD, EUR, GBP and AUD accounts, property, crypto, retirement annuities, tax-free savings accounts, bundles and much more.

We’ve grown from zero clients to over 1,1 million active investors, who together deposit more than R1,5 billion in fresh cash every month. Some are institutional, many are first-time investors. From day one we’ve valued every client equally — whether they deposit R1 or millions. Each client has dignity, and each one has an opportunity to grow and protect their wealth.

As Charles, my schoolmate and our CEO, likes to say: long after we are gone, people will ask why South Africans are economically strong, and the answer will be because EasyEquities said they could be, and made it possible.

People at the Heart

This company is built on people. Over the years colleagues have come and gone, some starting new journeys, others staying the course. We’ve celebrated weddings and mourned funerals. Through all of it, the EasyEquities team — and the wider community of shareholders, partners and clients — have been phenomenal. Not just smart, but also, frankly, super bloody nice.

There are too many people to mention by name — though you know who you are. What I do want to encourage, though, is for each of you to keep telling your stories. Share what Easy means to you, what you’ve learned, how you’ve grown, and what’s possible. Those stories are the heartbeat of this business.

Awareness and Education

Despite all we’ve built, we’re still “only” at a million-plus clients. There are millions more economically active South Africans who have not yet joined us. Some simply don’t know what’s possible on Easy. A friend reminded me of this just last week: he hadn’t realised how far our offering had evolved.

If you haven’t yet joined, do so — free and easy: Sign up here.

Once you’re registered, our team serves up curated content to guide you. My colleagues Matt and Carly have built clever journeys using data and behavioural science, serving you content tailored to your needs. Investing should not be intimidating. It should be fun.

And if you’re already with us, explore more:

• Browse our blogs or dive into Academy content from Isha, Veronique and the brand team. Jonathan lives and breathes EasyEquities and drives our social content – including our engagements with partners in places you may not expect!
• Try a bundle — AI can help you create collections around themes: women-led companies, tech-focused firms, or the best five-year performers to name a few.
• Dip into crypto, or explore EasyProperties — I now earn passive income every month from over 40 properties. Or our EasyEquities Actively Managed ETFs. David, Shaun and team are cooking in our managed business. And don’t miss us via the Discovery Bank or Capitec apps …

Progress and Priorities

In Charles’ last shareholder letter (from our interim results), he set out our short- to medium-term goals. Here are a few highlights:

• Deepen client engagement and education at scale
• Expand EasyProperties and other alternative asset offerings
• Increase adoption of AI-powered bundles and tools
• Grow institutional partnerships while staying retail-first
• Maintain cost discipline and improve operational resilience

While I am never happy (expecting more from myself and others) it IS good to smell the roses and acknowledge much success on these points!

And from our investor presentation:

• Average products per user are up 35%
• Retention sits at 99% — once our community are in, they stay
• Non-activity revenue (interest and related income) now makes up nearly half of all revenue
• Our moat rests on technology, economies of scale, switching costs and a loyal brand and shareholder base.

Looking Ahead

We are changing the financial fabric of South Africa through ownership. Millions are investing, and millions more will. The platform is safe, secure and often the best-priced place to invest in almost anything. In the short to medium term we are busy:

• Building deeper engagement with existing clients
• Aggressively growing our clients
• Scaling products from 16 to 20+ while increasing cross-holdings per user
• Strengthening EasyProperties as a distinctive investment category
• Expanding partnerships and institutional flows without ever losing focus on the R1 client
• Reinvesting in tech and innovation to stay ahead of competitors

As we enter our closed period, I am grateful to share how deeply proud I am of Team Easy and our community. Together, we’re building something that will outlast all of us — a country of investors, not just consumers.

Here’s to the next, Easy, chapter.