Optasia lists on JSE in a significant milestone in digital finance for emerging markets

Dubai-based Optasia, a leader in AI-powered digital finance technology, listed on the JSE’s Mainboard on Tuesday, bringing R23.5 billion of market capitalisation to the market.

“At Optasia, we have a deep commitment to deliver real-time financial access to millions of underserved individuals in the emerging markets. We are honoured to be listed on the JSE and are excited about the potential to grow further in the long term. Today is not just about an IPO – it continues a journey that began in 2012 as an idea premised on inclusion and value creation,” CEO Salvador Anglada said.

Optasia’s post-IPO ownership structure reflects strong investor confidence, with key stakeholders including FirstRand, Chronos Capital, TRG, and a further diverse group of local and international institutional investors.

At a final offer price of R19.00 per share, this listing commences with an implied landmark market capitalisation of R23.5 billion. The share traded at R19.75 later in the morning.

FirstRand last week acquired a 20.1% stake in Optasia through an off-market transaction. The investment aims to support Optasia’s growth ambitions through the long-term commitment of a respected financial institution, thus supporting deeper market penetration and product innovation across emerging economies.

Leila Fourie, JSE Group CEO, said the listing reinforces the bourse's role as a trusted capital-raising platform for companies with global ambition and local impact, and supports Africa’s potential to scale fintech solutions across emerging economies.

“Optasia’s pioneering approach to digital finance and their commitment to facilitating underserved markets embodies the bold, transformative growth of JSE champions,” said Fourie.

Optasia processes over 30 million loan transactions daily for over 120 million users. Its B2B2X (business-to-business partnership to provide services to a third party) model works through mobile wallet operators, payment gateways, and banks, using advanced AI-led risk management and affordability assessments.

This enables low-value, high-volume lending that is cost-effective for individuals and small businesses traditionally excluded from formal finance. Partnerships with mobile network operators such as Vodacom and MTN play a key role in expanding its footprint across emerging markets – Optasia delivers real-time micro-financing and airtime credit services to millions of users each month.

Valdene Reddy, Director of Capital Markets at the JSE, said, “Optasia’s listing reflects the JSE’s appeal as a destination for high-quality international businesses, offering access to deep and liquid pools of capital, robust regulatory standards, and a diverse investor base.”

Optasia is listed under the share code OPA and the listing brings the total number of companies listed on the JSE to 275.

Visit:www.businessreport.co.za