Case study: how EasyEquities unlocked instant, frictionless investing with Stitch

About EasyEquities

Founded with a mission to democratize investing, EasyEquities aims to challenge the status quo of South Africa’s financial landscape. At the time when EasyEquities launched, South Africa only had around 280,000 retail stockbroking accounts on the exchange – representing a small fraction of the population. This was largely due to systemic barriers, such as high fees and overly complex platforms, which 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. 

Challenge: the need for fast, seamless deposits

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 the traditional banking rails simply weren’t built for the speed EasyEquities required. 

“How do you get funds into Tesla shares?” said Almero Oosthuizen, Chief Product Owner at EasyEquities. “You first have to bring your money onto the platform. Stitch enables that through several rails.”

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: Stitch payments

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, EasyEquities was able to:

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

Impact: a friction-free investing experience for South Africans

“Stitch plays a core role in enabling best-in-class investing. It addresses a primary journey: bringing money onto our platform. Likewise, they enable the latter half of the journey: money out.” – Almero Oosthuizen, Chief Product Owner at EasyEquities

With Stitch, 

• 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.
  
  

“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 at EasyEquities.

Beyond the tech, EasyEquities points to Stitch’s partnership approach as a key differentiator.

“It’s rare to find a partner who understands our market so deeply and works alongside us to solve problems proactively,” said Almero.

What’s next for EasyEquities

Today, the team is investing in more optionality and accessibility for South Africa’s retail investors. Innovations like fractional ownership – a critical piece of democratising investing – as well as additional asset classes and access to more international stocks are making it easier and more attractive for more people to enter this space.

“EasyEquities pioneered the space to introduce the ability to purchase fractions of shares. You still own those shares wholly, and they’re hedged accordingly by EasyEquities,” Almero said.

As EasyEquities expands its product offering they’re also looking to integrate more advanced technologies, including AI, as they deliver on their mission to create a more inclusive investing future.

“I couldn’t be more bullish on EasyEquities and Purple Group stock,” Almero said. “We are at the forefront of AI in fintech. In the next few months, we’ll make the investment experience even easier and even more informed.”

Watch the video about our journey with EasyEquities here.