EasyEquities review: fees, US shares and who runs it

Who runs EasyEquities

EasyEquities is a product of First World Trader (Pty) Ltd, a South African company that trades as EasyEquities and belongs to Purple Group Limited, which is listed on the JSE. First World Trader is an authorised financial services provider with licence number 22588; we found it in the register of the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) with the status “Authorized”. The site also calls it a registered credit provider and a licensed over-the-counter derivatives provider (ODP 44). EasyEquities says it was created in 2014. All facts here were checked on 18 October 2026.

The site does not publish a list of accepted countries. Foreign nationals can register with a foreign ID or passport; a foreign national who wants a ZAR account needs a South African ID number and must live in South Africa. Only people who are not resident in the United States may open the USD account.

What you can invest in

• ZAR account: all shares, ETFs and ETNs listed on the JSE, plus unit trusts and managed bundles.
• USD account: “hundreds of shares and ETFs listed in the US”.
• AUD account: more than 600 shares and ETFs on the ASX.
• GBP and EUR accounts: UK and European shares and ETFs; the site does not name the exchanges.

Fractional share rights let you buy as little as 1/10000th of a share, from R5. Legally they are a CFD that First World Trader issues as principal: you get the price movement and dividends but no voting rights, until your fractions add up to a whole share, which is then delivered to you.

Costs of buying US shares

The USD account cost profile (dated November 2024) lists a broker commission of 0.25% on every buy and sell. On top of it come “clearing services and other administration charges” of 0.31%, which the US broker charges, a SEC fee (0.00218%) and a FINRA fee (0.0029%) on sales only, and 15% VAT on applicable costs. Limit, stop-loss and take-profit orders cost an extra 0.35%. There is no monthly platform fee, but a monthly Thrive fee of R25 is charged unless you reach Thrive Level 3, are 21 or younger, or 65 or older.

Currency conversion

The pricing page shows a foreign exchange fee of 0.5% on every account. With EasyFX, the platform’s own transfer tool, the fee is 0.5% of the amount plus tax, and the exchange rate itself is set 0.7% (rand pairs) or 0.6% (other pairs) above the WM/Reuters mid rate. EasyFX is only available to South African citizens and permanent residents over 18. Everyone else funds a global account from a bank account in that currency or by SWIFT.

Deposits and withdrawals

• Bank transfer: manual EFT into the ZAR account is free and takes 1–2 business days. SWIFT payments into global accounts are free on EasyEquities’ side, but both banks charge; the minimum is R150 and they take 3–5 business days.
• Cards, Ozow and Capitec Pay: ZAR account deposits only. Cards cost R1.60 + 2.2% (Adumo) or 2% (Stitch); Ozow costs 1%. Cards cannot be used to fund the USD account.
• Withdrawals: no EasyEquities fee; 2–3 working days. USD withdrawals can go to any bank account in your name that accepts international payments. Sale proceeds settle after 5 business days.

Clients in Namibia, Lesotho and eSwatini must send deposits and receive withdrawals as cross-border forex payments, with a R150 minimum.

How your assets are held

Whole shares and uninvested cash are held by FWT Nominees, a ring-fenced nominee company approved by the FSCA, separately from First World Trader’s own assets. Fractional rights are backed by a guarantee from the FWT Security SPV. US shares are held by a US broker that is a FINRA member, but EasyEquities does not name it, and we found no mention of an investor compensation scheme such as SIPC.

Before you open an account

• Check whether you can use EasyFX; if not, ask your bank what a SWIFT payment will cost.
• Add the 0.31% clearing charge and VAT to the 0.25% commission when you compare US costs.
• Remember that fractional share rights are a contract with EasyEquities, not shares in your name.

We have not tested EasyEquities with our own account yet; this review will be updated when we do.