How Stitch unlocked instant, frictionless investing for EasyEquiies

Founded with a mission to democratise investing, EasyEquities set out to challenge the status quo of South Africa's financial landscape. When the platform launched, South Africa had around 280,000 retail stockbroking accounts on the exchange, a small fraction of the population. Systemic barriers like high fees and overly complex platforms deterred everyday South Africans from getting started.

EasyEquities removed these barriers through features like fractional share ownership and simplified, user-friendly interfaces. The platform made it possible for anyone to invest in local or international markets without needing large sums of money or financial expertise.

EasyEquities has since played a significant role in the growth of the retail investing sector, which has seen a spike since 2021, largely due to the access platforms like theirs provide. As the team continued to scale, one critical piece of the puzzle remained: making it as easy as possible for users to move money into and out of their accounts instantly.

1.2M+

active investors

R100B+

in client assets

2014

year founded

Challenge

Solution

Results

Challenge

EasyEquities needed a seamless, secure and instant solution to power both deposits and withdrawals. Time-sensitive market movements often require investors to act fast, and traditional banking rails simply weren't built for the speed EasyEquities required.

“How do you get funds into Tesla shares? You first have to bring your money onto the platform. Stitch enables that through several rails.”

— Almero Oosthuizen (Chief Product Owner, EasyEquities)

The team sought a payments partner who could match their commitment to delivering best-in-class experiences, while adapting to the unique challenges of the South African fintech environment.

Solution

In the investment space, timing is critical. Customers need the ability to access funds and make trades without delay. In 2023, EasyEquities partnered with Stitch to introduce instant account funding capabilities, starting with Pay by bank and expanding into additional payment methods such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay.

Today they also work with Stitch to enable the other end of the payments loop: instant withdrawals through Stitch Payouts.

Through Stitch, EasyEquities was able to:

Enable instant account top-ups for investors wanting to capitalise on fast-moving market trends
Offer 24/7, 365 instant withdrawals, even from international markets, ensuring users can always access their earnings
Deliver a smoother, more reliable payments experience with fewer manual processes and less friction

Results

Frictionless investing

Users can now fund accounts instantly using modern, mobile-first payment methods, reducing drop-off and improving engagement.

Faster payouts

Investors enjoy the confidence of instant access to their funds, whether from local or global trades.

Improved user experience

EasyEquities saw a surge in usage and satisfaction thanks to reduced delays and improved reliability.

Beyond the technology, EasyEquities points to the Stitch partnership approach as a key differentiator.

“It’s very important for us to make it as seamless and easy as possible for our customers. Stitch is a critical part of making that easy, secure and friendly.”

‍— Don Kruger (Head of Platform, EasyEquities)

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