EasyEquities, the digital investment platform owned by JSE-listed Purple Group, has partnered with Absa Group to give the bank’s more than 12 million customers direct access to investing through its mobile app.

The partnership, announced Thursday, will bring EasyEquities’ investment services into the Absa app, giving customers another way to buy and manage investments without having to use a separate platform.

The service is expected to go live in September 2026, with more details on the products, customer experience and launch date to be released closer to the rollout.

Absa customers get direct access

EasyEquities already works with other South African banks, including Capitec and Discovery Bank. Its appeal among retail investors has been built around low fees, no minimum investment requirements and fractional shares, allowing customers to buy portions of shares that may otherwise be expensive.

The partnership with Absa also reflects an existing overlap between the two companies’ customer bases.

EasyEquities said about 125,000 of its customers are already linked to Absa through an Absa bank account, Absa Pay or registered banking details. It also has about 30,000 Absa shareholders and almost 20,000 investors who hold Absa investment products.

“This partnership builds on a natural connection between Absa and EasyEquities,” Sitoyo Lopokoiyit, chief executive of Personal and Private Banking Pan-Africa at Absa Group, said.

“Many Absa clients already invest through EasyEquities, while many EasyEquities users are connected to Absa as shareholders, clients or investors in our products.”

Bringing the service into the Absa app, he said, should make investing easier for more customers.

EasyEquities sees room to grow

For Purple Group and EasyEquities CEO Charles Savage, the agreement is about making investing more accessible to a wider group of customers.

“Our mission is to make access to markets available to more people, because markets remain one of the most effective ways to grow and protect wealth over time,” Savage said.

The deal comes as EasyEquities continues to grow within Purple Group, which reported stronger earnings for the six months ended Feb. 28, 2026.

Purple Group’s earnings per share rose 21%, while profit before tax increased 33.3% to 78.7 million rand ($4.84 million). Revenue climbed 8.8% to 258.5 million rand ($15.9 million).

EasyEquities, launched in 2014, allows customers to invest in shares, exchange-traded funds and other assets through a digital platform. Its fractional-share model means investors can buy part of a share rather than having to purchase a full unit.

Absa expands digital investing reach

Absa Group, headquartered in Johannesburg, operates in 16 African countries and employs more than 41,000 people. Its businesses include retail and business banking, corporate and investment banking, wealth management and insurance.

The lender has been investing in digital banking and expanding its services across African markets as it seeks to attract and retain more customers.

The Absa partnership gives the platform access to the bank’s large customer base while allowing Absa to add digital investing to an app its customers already use.