EasyEquities South Africa Review 2026: Fees, Safety and Verdict

EasyEquities is South Africa’s largest retail investing platform by client count: 2.87 million registered clients and 1,244,996 active ones at the end of February 2026, holding R94.93 billion between them. It made fractional shares normal in South Africa, it put a tax-free savings account in front of people who had never owned a share, and it now sits inside the Capitec, Discovery Bank, Absa and Telkom Pay apps.

This review covers what EasyEquities actually costs once every line of the cost profile is added up, how your shares are held, what the platform does badly, and who should use something else. The short version: the platform is excellent at getting money in and invested cheaply, and uneven when something goes wrong.

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EasyEquities at a Glance

Last updated and verified: 22 October 2026.

Who Should Use EasyEquities?

EasyEquities Pros and Cons

How We Reviewed EasyEquities

Is EasyEquities Safe? Is EasyEquities Legit?

Yes, EasyEquities is legitimate. The platform is operated by First World Trader (Pty) Ltd, registration number 1999/021265/07, trading as EasyEquities, which is an authorised financial services provider under FSP number 22588. The FSCA itself confirmed that number belongs to First World Trader when it warned the public in 2019 about a fraudster using a fake certificate bearing it. EasyEquities is also a registered credit provider (NCRCP12294) and a licensed over-the-counter derivatives provider (ODP 44).

Its parent, Purple Group, is listed on the JSE and publishes audited annual and reviewed interim results. That matters more than most marketing claims: the business has to report client numbers, assets and profits in public, every six months.

Where your shares actually sit

When you buy a whole share or ETF unit, it is registered in the name of FWT Nominees with you recorded as the beneficial owner, in a securities account held with a Strate-admitted central securities depository participant. Your uninvested cash goes into a bank account in FWT Nominees’ name, not EasyEquities’. FWT Nominees (registration 2013/091397/07) exists only to hold client assets, so in an insolvency your whole securities and free cash are not part of EasyEquities’ estate. EasyEquities says the CSDP reports holdings to Strate weekly, alongside a breakdown of beneficial owners.

The fractional-share caveat

Fractional shares work differently, and EasyEquities is open about it in its own legal footer. A fractional share right is a contract for difference issued by EasyEquities as principal. You have a contractual claim on the price movement and dividends, but you do not own part of the underlying share and you have no voting rights. When your fractions add up to a whole share, the contract is closed out and the whole share is delivered to you. The practical point: anything held as a fraction depends on EasyEquities itself standing behind the contract, which is a different risk from a whole share sitting in a nominee account.

The March 2026 outage and the September 2026 breach

On Monday 2 March 2026 the platform suffered intermittent outages for a large part of the day. CEO Charles Savage apologised publicly the next morning, called it unacceptable, and promised a root-cause analysis and transparent report. It landed on a volatile day for global markets, which is exactly when an investing platform needs to work.

In September 2026 EasyEquities told clients that a third-party provider it uses for regulatory identity verification had been breached. According to ITWeb, the provider confirmed the intrusion on 10 September and EasyEquities disabled the integration the following day. EasyEquities said its own and Purple Group’s systems were not compromised and that holdings, balances and trading data sit on its own systems. It rotated the affected keys and tokens and ran a 30-day retrospective threat hunt. The same verification provider was used by Satrix, which issued its own warning. The incident does not touch your shares, but it does mean the personal information you supplied at onboarding may have been exposed, so treat unsolicited messages claiming to be from EasyEquities with suspicion.

EasyEquities Account Types

One registration gives you access to a ZAR account, a tax-free savings account and the retirement accounts, with the offshore accounts activated from your profile.

How to Open an EasyEquities Account

Registration is fully online, through the EasyEquities app or website, and there is no minimum deposit. The steps:

1. Register. Choose your country of citizenship and residence, then the profile type: individual, kids (for a minor) or corporate.
2. Add your details. Personal information, residential address, and a few questions on employment and source of funds, which FICA requires.
3. Verify your identity. Upload your ID, passport or driver’s licence and a recent proof of residence, such as a bank statement. BrokerChooser found black-and-white copies were rejected, so upload clear colour images.
4. Activate the accounts you want. ZAR, TFSA, USD, retirement and the rest are switched on from Add and Manage Accounts in your profile.
5. Fund and invest. Deposit by EFT, debit order, Capitec Pay or another method (see the deposit section below), then buy from the Invest Now screen.

EasyEquities says verification is usually done within 24 hours. That is not universal: BrokerChooser’s test account took more than a week, and slow verification is a recurring theme in user reviews. Open the account a few days before you need it, and set up a monthly deposit from the start so the Thrive fee never applies.

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EasyEquities Fees: What a Trade Actually Costs

The 0.25% brokerage is real, but it is not the whole cost of a trade. On the JSE you also pay Securities Transfer Tax on purchases, a settlement charge, the Investor Protection Levy and VAT. Here is the ZAR cost profile in full, as dated 12 February 2026.

Source: EasyEquities ZAR & TFSA Cost Profile, 12 February 2026. All costs exclusive of VAT unless stated.

Worked example: R1,000 into a JSE share

Investor Protection Levy is under 1c at this size. Our arithmetic from the published cost profile.

So a round trip costs roughly 1% of the amount invested, and the 1c minimum means that holds even on very small trades. That is the platform’s real strength. Traditional South African brokers built their pricing around minimum charges per deal, which made a R500 monthly purchase uneconomic. EasyEquities does not have that problem.

Hidden Fees: Thrive, Transfers, Card Deposits and the Rest

None of these are hidden in the legal sense, since all of them sit in the cost profile. They are hidden in the sense that most first-time investors never read it.

The R25 Thrive fee

Since 30 November 2023 every client pays a R25 monthly Thrive fee unless they qualify for an exemption. You are exempt if you reach Thrive Level 3 or higher that month, are 21 or younger, are 65 or older, are a corporate client, or hold an active EasyCredit loan or EasyProtect policy. The simplest route to Level 3 is to deposit more than you withdraw in the month: EasyEquities says even a R1 deposit with no withdrawals counts. The fee comes out of the account with the most free cash, and if none of your accounts has more than R25 free, EasyEquities may sell investments to cover it.

For an active saver the fee never applies. For a dormant account it is a real drag: R300 a year on a R5,000 portfolio is a 6% annual cost. Several of the recent Hellopeter complaints come from people who opened an account through a banking app, stopped depositing, and found the fee months later.

Two of these deserve emphasis. Card and third-party instant-EFT deposits cost between 1% and roughly 2.4%, so avoid them for regular contributions: use a debit order, a plain EFT, or Capitec Pay if you bank with Capitec (see the deposit methods below). And the R150-per-counter transfer-out fee means that a portfolio of 20 different shares costs R3,000 to move to another broker. If you think you might leave one day, hold fewer, larger positions, or ETFs.

Deposit Methods: Capitec Pay, Instant EFT and Free EFT

How you fund the account matters more than most people realise, because the method decides both the cost and how quickly the money is available to invest. For Capitec clients the standout option is Capitec Pay: you choose it on the deposit screen, approve the payment in the Capitec app, and return to EasyEquities. In our own use the money has reflected almost straight away. EasyEquities’ help centre is more careful, describing it as faster allocation than a manual EFT and citing a fee of R1, while the cost profile says EasyEquities charges nothing for Capitec Pay itself and any charge comes from the bank.

Sources: EasyEquities help centre deposit guide and ZAR & TFSA Cost Profile (12 February 2026). Bank-side charges can change; check your bank’s tariff.

How to Withdraw from EasyEquities

Withdrawals are free and go by EFT to a verified bank account in your own name.

1. Sell first if needed. Only free cash can be withdrawn. Proceeds from a sale settle in five business days, or within 24 hours if you pay the 0.2% early-settlement fee.
2. Open the withdrawal screen. Log in, open the menu and choose Withdrawal (under My Funds).
3. Enter the amount and confirm. The money goes to the bank account on your profile.

BrokerChooser’s test withdrawal arrived in two business days. Dollar, pound and euro withdrawals go by international transfer, where your bank may charge; converting back to rands with EasyFX first is often simpler. Most withdrawal delays in user reviews trace back to unverified or recently changed bank details, so verify yours as soon as you open the account.

EasyEquities Trading Hours

EasyEquities only executes trades while each market is open, and its own trading window is slightly shorter than the exchange’s. All times below are SAST, Monday to Friday, excluding each market’s public holidays.

Source: EasyEquities help centre, trading times article.

If you place an order while the market is closed, or during an intra-day auction, it becomes a buy instruction and executes when the market next opens. Remember that the price you saw was already 15 minutes old, and the opening price can be quite different, particularly on US shares after overnight news.

EasyEquities Referral Bonus, Thrive Rewards and Promotions

Sources: EasyEquities help centre (referrals, Thrive) and EasyEquities blog. Promotions change; confirm the current terms in the app.

None of these change the core verdict. The referral reward is small and the Thrive discount applies only to the designated Thrive stocks. The useful one is Thrive Level 3, because it removes the monthly fee; the rest is a bonus for habits you should have anyway.

The US Account: Why 0.25% Is Not the Real Number

This is the part of EasyEquities most reviews get wrong, including some of the big international comparison sites. The USD cost profile lists the familiar 0.25% broker commission, and next to it a 0.31% charge for clearing services and other administration, levied by EasyEquities’ US broker on every buy and every sell. VAT of 15% is then added to the costs.

Source: EasyEquities USD Cost Profile as currently published (dated November 2024).

On a $1,000 purchase that comes to $2.50 brokerage plus $3.10 clearing, $5.60 before VAT and about $6.44 after it, or roughly 0.64% each way. That is more than double the headline. One large international comparison site lists $5 for a $2,000 US trade, which is the 0.25% brokerage alone; with the clearing charge and VAT the cost profile puts it nearer $13. Older reviews also still quote EasyFX at 2% above the mid rate, which no longer matches the current cost profile.

EasyFX: the cost of getting rands into dollars

Most South Africans fund the USD account by converting rands with EasyFX. The ZAR cost profile sets the EasyFX fee at 0.5% of the amount transferred plus VAT, and sets the exchange rate itself 0.7% above the WM/Reuters mid rate for each hourly window. Converting R20,000 therefore costs about R115 in fee and VAT plus about R140 in rate, roughly 1.3% in total. EasyEquities improved EasyFX in June 2026, moving to hourly settlement and saying a new banking agreement cut its exchange-rate costs by 59%, so the conversion is faster than it was. It is still a meaningful cost.

There is a practical upside worth stating. The EasyFX route uses your annual discretionary allowance without a separate bank forex process, and the Budget in February 2026 doubled the offshore discretionary allowance from R1 million to R2 million, which makes the convenience more useful. Just make the conversion in larger, less frequent amounts.

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EasyEquities App and Platform Review

The app and web platform are where EasyEquities earns its reputation. BrokerChooser scored the mobile app 4.8 out of 5 in its live-account test, praising the search function and price alerts, while flagging the limited order types. The interface is built for someone who has never placed a trade, and it shows: you choose a rand or dollar amount rather than a number of shares, and the platform buys the fraction for you.

Delayed prices and EasyCredits

Prices on screen are delayed: 15 minutes for South African and US instruments and 20 minutes for Australian ones. EasyEquities runs a non-DMA platform and says orders always execute at the live market price, not the delayed figure you see. If you want to see the live price before trading, you buy EasyCredits, which range from R10 for 50 credits to R20 for 250 credits, and request a snapshot. EasyEquities’ reasoning is cost: it says an exchange would charge a non-professional about R98.92 a month excluding VAT for live data, against about R0.25 for a snapshot.

For a monthly investor this is a sensible trade-off. For anyone who wants to time an entry, it is a real limitation, because you are placing a market order against a price you cannot see without paying.

Order types

Basic orders are a market order or a pre-set limit order at the displayed price. Advanced orders (custom limit buys and sells, stop-losses, take-profit and break orders) are available on the top 100 SA shares in the ZAR account and cost an extra 0.35% on top of brokerage. There is no desktop trading platform; BrokerChooser scored desktop 0 out of 5 for that reason.

Tools and research

Charting is basic and research tools are thin. BrokerChooser rated research at 1.0 out of 5. What EasyEquities does offer is education: the EasyEquities Academy, a busy blog, company webinars, and AI-generated baskets that charge a fee in EasyCredits each time you build one. The education is genuinely good for beginners. The analysis tools are not built for anyone who wants to study price.

What You Can Invest In on EasyEquities

BrokerChooser scored product selection low, at 1.7 out of 5, but that score compares EasyEquities with global brokers offering dozens of exchanges. For a South African investor the relevant question is different: can I build a JSE core, a TFSA, an offshore sleeve and a retirement annuity in one place? On EasyEquities you can, and few local competitors put all four under one login.

Investing Through Capitec, Discovery, Absa and Telkom

A large share of new EasyEquities clients now arrive through banking apps rather than the EasyEquities app itself. The Capitec app carries an EasyEquities widget with JSE and US investing from R5, and EasyEquities says linking the widget gives a 20% discount on brokerage for trades placed there. Separately from the widget, Capitec clients can fund any EasyEquities account with Capitec Pay, approving the deposit in the Capitec app. Discovery Bank and Telkom Pay also offer access.

The newest integration is Absa. The partnership was announced on 6 August 2026 and EasyEquities went live in the Absa Banking App in October 2026, opening it to more than 12 million Absa customers. EasyEquities said more than 70,000 of its clients already bank with Absa.

Customer Support and Withdrawals

This is the most divisive part of EasyEquities. In our own dealings with the support team, responses have been good: useful answers, in reasonable time. The public record is much harsher, and it is too large to ignore. There is no live chat with a person. Support runs through a help centre, tickets, WhatsApp and an AI phone assistant. BrokerChooser found phone support slow and not especially helpful, and its account verification took more than a week.

Hellopeter’s summary of the last 12 months is far less kind: cheap and easy to deposit into, and very hard to deal with once something goes wrong. The recurring themes are unanswered tickets, chatbot-only replies, tickets closed without resolution, withdrawals and transfers held up by verification checks, and slow TFSA and RA transfers. EasyEquities does not respond to reviews on Hellopeter.

On the mechanics, withdrawals are free, EFT is the main route, and BrokerChooser’s test withdrawal arrived in two business days. Sale proceeds settle in five business days unless you pay the 0.2% early-settlement fee. Most delays reported by users relate to verification holds, bank-detail changes and transfers between providers rather than ordinary withdrawals.

EasyEquities for ICT, Prop-Firm and Active Traders

If you trade ICT or smart-money concepts, EasyEquities is not your execution platform, and it does not claim to be. Delayed prices, no proper charting, a market-or-limit order screen, an extra 0.35% for stops and take-profits, and five-day settlement on sales all rule it out for intraday work. Liquidity sweeps and fair value gaps on a 15-minute-delayed feed are not a strategy.

Purple Group’s answer for traders is EasyTrader, the sister platform formerly known as GT247, run by EasyTrader (Pty) Ltd under ODP 43. It offers CFDs on forex (70+ pairs), indices, commodities and equities, priced in rands, with leverage, through a web trader and MetaTrader 5. It is a different product with different risks: CFDs are leveraged and can lose money quickly. Judge it as a CFD broker, not as part of EasyEquities’ investing proposition.

Where EasyEquities does fit a trader’s plan

The useful role for an active trader is the Money pillar. Prop-firm payouts and trading profits are lumpy and easy to give back to the market. A standing rule that moves a fixed share of each payout into a TFSA or a JSE index ETF on EasyEquities turns trading income into owned assets that your next drawdown cannot touch. The low trading cost and the TFSA are exactly what that job needs, and slow support matters less for money you intend to leave alone for years.

For the trading side itself, our risk management framework and trading calculators are the better starting point, and the Path to Financial Freedom calculator shows what steady monthly contributions compound into.

EasyEquities vs Competitors

The useful comparisons for a South African investor are a global low-cost broker for the offshore sleeve, and local platforms for the JSE and TFSA core.

Interactive Brokers figures from BrokerChooser’s comparison data, October 2026.

EasyEquities vs Interactive Brokers

For the offshore part of a portfolio, Interactive Brokers is far cheaper on both currency conversion and US trading, and gives access to around 90 markets. It is also more complex, offers no South African TFSA and does not trade JSE shares. A sensible split for a larger investor is EasyEquities for the TFSA and JSE core, and Interactive Brokers once the offshore portion is big enough for the conversion savings to matter. Below a few tens of thousands of rands offshore, EasyEquities’ simplicity probably wins.

EasyEquities vs SatrixNOW

SatrixNOW is Sanlam’s direct platform for Satrix ETFs and unit trusts, and Moneyweb has reported that EasyEquities manages it on Sanlam’s behalf, which is why the September 2026 verification breach affected both. If all you want is Satrix index funds in a TFSA, SatrixNOW is a focused alternative. If you want individual shares, other providers’ ETFs, offshore accounts or a retirement annuity alongside, EasyEquities covers more ground.

EasyEquities vs bank share-trading platforms

The big banks’ own share-trading platforms, such as Standard Bank Online Share Trading and FNB’s share investing products, suit existing clients who want investing next to their banking and value a bank’s support structure. Their pricing is generally built for larger trades than EasyEquities’, so for small, regular amounts EasyEquities usually works out cheaper. Note that the Capitec and Absa apps do not offer a separate product: they plug into EasyEquities.

Not sure which type of platform fits you? Our Broker Matchmaker narrows it down in under a minute, and the recommended trading tools page covers the wider stack.

EasyEquities User Reviews: Hellopeter, Trustpilot and BrokerChooser

Scores as published on each platform on 22 October 2026.

The split is stark. Survey data and expert testing rate EasyEquities well on price and usability, and it is the most popular platform in the country by a wide margin. Review sites, where people go mostly to complain, rate it among the worst in South African financial services. Both are true. The platform works well for the large majority whose accounts never need human attention, and badly for the minority who hit a verification hold, a transfer or an estate.

What users praise

Low fees and tiny starting amounts, a simple app, fractional access to JSE and US shares, the TFSA, and the fact that it got them investing at all. A typical positive review calls it the best fractional DIY platform for an ordinary person.

What users complain about

Support that does not answer, AI and chatbot replies, tickets closed unresolved, verification and FICA holds, slow TFSA, RA and portfolio transfers in and out, account-closure difficulty, and the Thrive fee appearing on accounts people thought were free. The deceased-estate complaint from a law firm in September 2026 is a reminder to keep your beneficiaries and records in order.

EasyEquities Review 2026: Final Verdict and Rating

EasyEquities did something important for South African investing. It removed the minimum charge that kept small investors out, made the TFSA easy, and built a platform people actually use: more than 1.2 million of them, actively. For a monthly investor buying ETFs in a TFSA and a ZAR account, it is still the default recommendation, provided you keep depositing so the Thrive fee never applies.

The rating is held back by two things. Support is inconsistent: our own experience has been good, but enough clients report long delays that you should do your admin early and keep records. And the offshore account is good value for convenience rather than for cost. Go in knowing both, use EFT, and EasyEquities does its core job very well.

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Frequently Asked Questions: EasyEquities 2026

Is EasyEquities safe in 2026?

Yes. EasyEquities is operated by First World Trader (Pty) Ltd, an FSCA-authorised financial services provider (FSP 22588), and its parent Purple Group is listed on the JSE. Whole shares and uninvested cash are held by FWT Nominees, a ring-fenced company, so they are not part of EasyEquities’ estate if it fails. Fractional share rights are CFDs issued by EasyEquities, so they carry counterparty risk.

Is EasyEquities regulated by the FSCA?

Yes. First World Trader (Pty) Ltd t/a EasyEquities is an authorised FSP under number 22588. It is also a registered credit provider (NCRCP12294) and a licensed OTC derivatives provider (ODP 44). You can confirm the number with the FSCA on 0800 110 443.

What are the fees on EasyEquities?

Brokerage is 0.25% per trade with a 1c minimum. On JSE purchases you also pay 0.25% STT, a 0.0795% settlement charge, a tiny investor protection levy and VAT, which comes to about 0.63% to buy and 0.38% to sell. There is a R25 monthly Thrive fee unless you are exempt or reach Thrive Level 3.

How do I avoid the R25 Thrive fee?

Reach Thrive Level 3 in the month. The simplest way is to deposit more than you withdraw that month; EasyEquities says even R1 counts. Clients aged 21 or younger, 65 or older, corporate clients, and those with an active EasyCredit loan or EasyProtect policy are exempt.

What is the minimum deposit on EasyEquities?

There is no minimum deposit and no minimum investment size. Fractional shares mean you can invest a few rand in a share that costs thousands.

How much does it cost to buy US shares on EasyEquities?

The USD cost profile charges 0.25% brokerage plus 0.31% clearing and administration on each buy and sell, plus 15% VAT on costs, roughly 0.64% each way. Converting rands with EasyFX adds a 0.5% fee plus VAT and an exchange rate set 0.7% above mid.

Does EasyEquities have a tax-free savings account?

Yes. A TFSA is included with every account. From 1 March 2026 the annual limit is R46,000; if you deposit more, EasyEquities routes the excess to your ZAR account.

Are EasyEquities prices live?

No. Prices shown are delayed 15 minutes for South African and US instruments and 20 minutes for Australian ones. Orders execute at the live market price, and you can buy EasyCredits to view a live snapshot before trading.

Can I trade forex or CFDs on EasyEquities?

Not on EasyEquities itself. Its sister platform EasyTrader, formerly GT247, offers leveraged CFDs on forex, indices, commodities and shares in rands, under its own derivatives licence (ODP 43). CFDs are leveraged and carry a high risk of loss.

Can I deposit instantly into EasyEquities?

Yes. Capitec clients can use Capitec Pay, approved in the Capitec app, which the help centre lists at R1 and which reflected almost immediately in our use. Discovery Bank transfers are normally instant, and card or third-party instant-EFT deposits are instant but cost 1% to about 2.4%. A plain EFT is free but takes 1 to 2 business days.

How do I open an EasyEquities account?

Register online through the app or website, choose an individual, kids or corporate profile, add your details, upload your ID and proof of residence for FICA, then activate the accounts you want and make a deposit. EasyEquities says verification usually takes up to 24 hours, though some users report longer waits.

What are EasyEquities trading hours?

EasyEquities trades the JSE from 09:15 to 16:40 SAST, US shares from 16:35 to 22:50 SAST (15:35 to 21:50 during US daylight saving), and UK and European shares from 09:15 to 17:10 SAST. Orders placed while a market is closed become buy instructions that execute at the next open.

Does EasyEquities have a referral bonus?

Yes. A new client gets R50 once their account is FICA-verified, and the person who referred them gets R50 in EasyMoney once the new client has registered, been verified and made a first deposit.

How long do EasyEquities withdrawals take?

Withdrawals are free. BrokerChooser’s test bank withdrawal arrived in two business days. Proceeds from selling shares take five business days to settle unless you pay a 0.2% early-settlement fee for 24-hour settlement.

Can I transfer my shares out of EasyEquities?

Yes, but it costs R150 per counter for ZAR holdings and $25 per counter for US holdings, plus R150 or $50 to transfer cash. Transfers into EasyEquities are free.

Are fractional shares real shares?

No. A fractional share right is a contract for difference issued by EasyEquities that tracks the share’s price and dividends, without voting rights. Once your fractions add up to a whole share, it is delivered to you as a real share held in the nominee.

Does EasyEquities pay interest on cash?

Yes on rand cash in the ZAR and TFSA accounts, at a rate linked to prime less a cash management fee that falls as balances grow. The USD cost profile shows 0% interest on free dollar cash.

Can I open an EasyEquities account through my bank?

Yes. EasyEquities is available inside the Capitec, Discovery Bank, Absa and Telkom Pay apps. You are still opening a normal EasyEquities account with the same fees, including the Thrive fee.

Was EasyEquities hacked in 2026?

No. In September 2026 a third-party provider EasyEquities uses for identity verification was breached. EasyEquities said its own systems were not compromised and that holdings and balances were not affected, but personal information supplied for verification may have been exposed.

Is EasyEquities good for beginners?

Yes, for beginners who want to buy and hold. No minimum, fractional shares, a TFSA and a clear app make it one of the easiest starts in South Africa. Beginners who want to trade actively should look elsewhere.

EasyEquities vs Interactive Brokers: which is better?

EasyEquities for JSE shares, a TFSA and small regular amounts. Interactive Brokers for larger offshore portfolios, where its currency conversion and US trading costs are much lower. Many investors use both.

Does EasyEquities have a retirement annuity?

Yes. The EasyEquities Retirement Annuity Fund charges an ongoing administration fee of 0.345% including VAT according to the fund’s transfer documentation, with Regulation 28 portfolios, AMETFs and unit trusts available. Preservation funds and a living annuity are also offered.

Conclusion: The Mind · Method · Money View

Mind. EasyEquities’ best feature is behavioural. A platform that lets you invest R500 a month without a minimum charge removes the excuse to wait until you have more, and the Thrive programme, for all its fee controversy, rewards the habit of depositing every month. Delayed prices also make it a poor place to fidget with a portfolio, which for most investors is a benefit.

Method. Use it for what it does well: a TFSA and a JSE core built from broad ETFs, an offshore sleeve funded in fewer, larger EasyFX conversions, and as few individual counters as you need, which keeps transfer costs down if you ever leave.

Money. Know the full cost: about 1% round trip on the JSE, nearer 4% over the life of a US holding funded from rands, and R25 a month if you let the account go quiet. Then protect yourself from the support problem by keeping your details verified and your records tidy.

South Africa’s most famous investor built his firm on patience, not activity; our profile of Allan Gray is a good reminder of why that approach still works. For the full framework behind this review, see The Complete Trader’s Edge, or take the free M·M·M Assessment to see which pillar needs work first.

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Keep Reading

The Complete Trader's Edge The full Mind · Method · Money framework. 70 chapters. View on Amazon → Market Mayhem 400 years of bubbles, crashes, and the pattern that keeps repeating. Buy on Amazon → Greatest Companies How the world's greatest companies were built — and what traders learn from them. View on Amazon → Greatest Traders Eighty-six lives that explain the markets — Livermore to Madoff, told with the losses left in. View on Amazon →

Written by

Louw van Riet

Author · Trader · Coach

Louw is the author of The Complete Trader's Edge — a 70-chapter trading framework covering psychology, technical analysis, ICT concepts, and professional risk management. He has spent years studying institutional price action across forex, indices, and crypto, and built this platform to provide the complete, honest trading education he wished existed when he started.

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