EasyEquities Review: Is It the Best Platform for Beginners?

If you have spent any time around a braai or a boardroom in South Africa over the last five years, you have heard the name. It has become a verb in our local financial lexicon. “Just EasyEquities it.”

For decades, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) was an exclusive club. To buy shares, you needed a stockbroker in Sandton, a minimum investment of R10,000, and a willingness to pay exorbitant monthly administration fees. It was a system designed to keep the wealthy wealthy and the rest on the sidelines.

Then came the disruption.

In this comprehensive EasyEquities Review, I am going to strip away the marketing hype. As an analyst, I look at the numbers, the fee structures, and the regulatory framework. Is this purple platform really the champion of the people, or is it too good to be true?

We will analyze their fee structure (which is arguably the lowest in the country), their platform stability, their range of assets, and most importantly, whether they are the right home for your hard-earned Rands.

If you are new to the world of markets and want to understand where a platform fits into your broader strategy, I suggest you first read our foundational pillar: The Ultimate Guide to Investing in South Africa.

The “Fractional” Revolution: How It Changed the Game

To understand why this platform exploded in popularity, you have to understand the problem it solved.

Historically, if you wanted to buy a share of a company like Naspers (in its prime) or Capitec, you needed thousands of Rands to buy just one share. If Capitec is trading at R2,000 a share and you only have R500 to invest, you were mathematically locked out of the market.

EasyEquities Review point number one: They introduced Fractional Share Rights (FSRs) to the mass market in South Africa.

This means you do not have to buy a whole share. You can invest R50 into Capitec. You will own a fraction (e.g., 0.025) of that share. You still get the dividends (proportionally), and you still get the growth. This single feature democratized investing for millions of South Africans, allowing students, domestic workers, and young professionals to build portfolios alongside high-net-worth individuals.

Fee Structure: The Good, The Bad, and The Cheap

In the investment world, fees are the termites that eat your retirement house. A difference of 1% in fees can mean a difference of millions of Rands over 20 years.

In this EasyEquities Review, we must scrutinize their cost model. It is widely regarded as the most aggressive in the market.

The “No Monthly Fee” Promise

Most traditional bank brokers charge a “Monthly Administration Fee” or “Platform Fee.” This is often around R25 to R50 per month, regardless of whether you trade or not.

• EasyEquities: R0.00 monthly fee.
• Why this matters: If you have a small portfolio of R5,000, a R50 monthly fee is 1% of your wealth gone every month. That is 12% a year. EasyEquities eliminates this drag.

Brokerage Fees

This is the cost to execute a trade (buy or sell).

• EasyEquities: 0.25%.
• The Competition: Many banks charge 0.5% to 0.7%, often with a “minimum charge” of R100 per trade.
• The Math: On a R100 trade, EasyEquities charges you 25 cents. A traditional broker with a minimum charge would take the whole R100.

The “Hidden” Costs

No EasyEquities Review is honest without looking at the fine print. While brokerage is cheap, there are other costs:

1. IPL (Investor Protection Levy): A tiny statutory cost mandated by the JSE.
2. VAT: Standard 15% on the brokerage fee.
3. Flow-Through Fees: If you buy ETFs, the ETF provider (like Satrix or Sygnia) charges an internal management fee (TER). EasyEquities doesn’t control this, but you pay it.
4. Advanced Trades: If you use the “Demo” account or need real-time data, there are optional costs, but for the average buy-and-hold investor, the platform is effectively free to hold.

Usability and User Experience (UX)

The platform is named “Easy” for a reason. The interface is intentionally designed to look less like a Bloomberg Terminal and more like an e-commerce store.

The Buying Process

When you log in, you don’t see complex charts, candlesticks, or depth-of-market data. You see logos. You see brand names like “Woolworths,” “Tesla,” or “Sasol.”

To buy, you click the logo, enter the Rand amount (e.g., R200), and click “Buy.”

It is as simple as buying a pair of sneakers on Takealot.

The Downside of Simplicity

For advanced traders, this simplicity is a drawback.

• Delayed Data: The price you see is often delayed by 15 minutes unless you pay for live data.
• Execution Price: Because you are buying fractional shares, you are buying at the “market price.” You cannot easily set complex limit orders or stop-losses on the basic platform.
• The “Spread”: During high volatility, the price you get filled at might be slightly different from what you saw on the screen.

Johan’s Verdict: For a beginner conducting an EasyEquities Review, this simplicity is a feature, not a bug. It prevents analysis paralysis.

Asset Classes: What Can You Actually Buy?

A robust platform needs to offer more than just local shares. EasyEquities has expanded aggressively.

1. JSE Equities and ETFs

You have access to the full board of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. From mining giants to retail banks, and every ETF available in SA (Satrix, Sygnia, CoreShares, 1nvest).

2. Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSA)

They offer a dedicated TFSA module. It tracks your R36,000 limit automatically. This is, in my opinion, the best place to host your TFSA in South Africa due to the lack of monthly fees eating into your tax-free growth.

3. US Markets (EasyEquities USD)

You can convert Rands to Dollars inside the app and buy shares on the NYSE and NASDAQ.

• The Benefit: You own the actual US stock (Apple, Amazon, Google). It is not a derivative.
• The Cost: There is a spread on the currency conversion (usually around 2%), which is cheaper than most banks but still a cost to consider.

4. Crypto (EC10 and Individual Coins)

Through a partnership, they offer crypto assets. Their “EC10” bundle (top 10 cryptocurrencies) is a popular way to get diversified exposure without managing a complex crypto wallet.

5. Australian and UK Markets

They have recently added access to the London Stock Exchange and the Australian Securities Exchange, further widening the net for global diversification.

Is Your Money Safe? (Regulation and Trust)

In South Africa, trust is currency. We have seen too many scams. In any EasyEquities Review, safety is the paramount question.

1. Regulation

EasyEquities is a product of First World Trader (Pty) Ltd. They are an authorized Financial Services Provider (FSP) registered with the FSCA (Financial Sector Conduct Authority). They are strictly regulated.

2. Ownership

They are owned by Purple Group Limited, a company listed on the JSE. This means their financial statements are public, audited, and scrutinized by shareholders. They are not a startup operating out of a garage.

3. Asset Separation

This is critical. Your cash is held in a separate trust account, not in EasyEquities’ business bank account. If EasyEquities were to go bankrupt tomorrow, your shares belong to you (registered in your name via Strate) and your cash is ring-fenced in the trust account. Creditors cannot touch it.

The Pros and Cons: A brutally honest summary

To provide a balanced EasyEquities Review, we must look at where they fail.

Who is EasyEquities For?

The Ideal User (The “Yes” Vote)

• The Beginner: You have never bought a share before.
• The Monthly Saver: You want to debit order R500 or R1,000 a month.
• The Long-Term Investor: You plan to buy quality companies and hold them for 10 years.
• The TFSA Investor: You want to maximize your tax-free allowance without fees.

The Wrong User (The “No” Vote)

• The Day Trader: If you want to scalp the market, use leverage, and trade in seconds, this platform is too slow for you. You need a platform like IG or stick to the “EasyEquities GT247” module (which is high risk).
• The Professional: If you need deep Level 2 data and complex order types, you will find the interface frustratingly simple.

Step-by-Step: Opening Your Account

If this EasyEquities Review has convinced you, here is how the process works practically.

1. Registration

Go to their website or download the app. You will need to provide your email, create a password, and enter your ID number.

2. FICA (The Legal Part)

They connect to the Home Affairs database.

• Scenario A: Your FICA is approved instantly (Green status). You can trade immediately.
• Scenario B: They need more info. You will have to upload a copy of your ID and a Proof of Residence (utility bill or bank statement). This can take 24-48 hours to verify.

3. Funding

You will get a unique reference number (usually “EE” followed by your account number).

Do an EFT from your bank to their trust account.

• Tip: Use the “Instant EFT” option (SID) if you want the money to reflect immediately, though it sometimes carries a small convenience fee. Standard EFT is free but takes a day.

4. Buying

Once the funds reflect, search for “Satrix Top 40” or “Tesla” and click Buy.

Comparing EasyEquities to the Banks

Many people ask, “Why not just use my FNB or Standard Bank share trading account?”

Standard Bank (Online Share Trading):

• Pros: Professional tools, great research, integrated into your banking profile.
• Cons: Monthly admin fees (approx R70+), high minimum brokerage per trade (approx R100).
• Verdict: Great for millionaires, expensive for beginners.

FNB (Share Investor):

• Pros: E-bucks rewards, integrated app.
• Cons: Monthly account fees apply unless you meet specific criteria. Brokerage is higher than EasyEquities.
• Verdict: Good if you are chasing e-bucks levels, but purely on cost, EasyEquities wins.

Is It the Best?

After analyzing the data for this EasyEquities Review, the conclusion is clear.

For 95% of the South African population, EasyEquities is the best platform to start investing.

It is not the most powerful. It is not the fastest. But it is the most accessible. It removed the two biggest barriers to wealth creation: Cost and Complexity.

By allowing you to convert your “coffee money” into shares of the world’s best companies, they have provided a tool for genuine financial liberation. It is imperfect, and their customer support needs work, but as a vehicle for long-term wealth building, it is currently unrivaled in the local market.

If you haven’t opened an account yet, you are running out of excuses. The barrier to entry is literally R10.