An innovative South African company doubled investors’ money in a year

Purple Group is a JSE-listed financial services group founded by Mark Barnes in 1998. The company’s big break came in 2014 with the creation of EasyEquities.

It democratised equity investing in South Africa through its Fractional Share Rights model. EasyEquities makes it easy and affordable for all South Africans to buy and sell shares on local and global stock exchanges.

EasyEquities founder Charles Savage, who also serves as the chief executive of Purple Group, said they have quadrupled the number of retail investors in South Africa.

They signed partnerships with some of South Africa’s largest brands, including Telkom, Capitec, and Discovery Bank, providing them access to between 65% and 70% of the South African population.

While the platform initially focused on South African shares, it has since expanded to include shares from around the world, including those from Europe, Australia, and the Americas.

People can also buy property, FX and crypto and invest in unit trusts through the Easy Group portfolio, which includes EasyEquities, EasyProperties, and EasyAssetManagement.

“If you reflect on that decade, we’ve done a lot in a short period,” Savage said. “I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved.”

The company is also expanding geographically. In 2023, EasyEquities partnered with GCash in the Philippines, which gives it access to over 70 million active clients.

In June 2025, the Philippines Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the fintech’s regulatory sandbox for its stock trading service.

This enables GCash to offer Filipino investors access to the largest global stocks through its partnership with EasyEquities.

“This initiative marks a pioneering step toward making global investing more accessible and seamless for Filipinos,” said GCash.

Strong results from Purple Group

Earlier this year, Purple Group delivered its strongest half-year performance to date, driven by scalable revenue growth, improved platform efficiency, and increased client engagement.

Group revenue increased by 25.8% to R238 million while operating expenses only increased by 13.0%, well below revenue growth.

Profit attributable to ordinary shareholders rose 208.5% to R33.5 million, and basic and headline earnings per share increased 204.1% to 2.36 cents.

“We’re hitting our stride. This isn’t just growth, it’s proof that our platform model scales with discipline and client-led intent,” Savage said.

“What we’re seeing here isn’t a by-product of favourable conditions, but the outcome of deliberate decisions.”

These decisions include focusing on value drivers, reducing friction, deepening engagement, and building for long-term resilience.

“Client deposits are rising, though not yet back at peak levels, signalling that further upside remains as clarity returns to global markets,” he said.

The market was impressed with what it saw from EasyEquities, and the Purple Group share price increased by approximately 100% over the past year.

Investment specialist Ricus Reeders from PSG said he holds Purple Group as it is an interesting company with great potential.

“There is an excellent narrative behind it as they grow the scope of their current operations and branch into other areas,” he said.

“It is still a growth story rather than a results story. However, one cannot fault their results,” he said. He added that investors should note that there is a lot baked into the price.

The chart below shows Purple Group’s share price growth over the last twelve months.

Issued on Daily Investor | https://dailyinvestor.com/investing/92213/an-innovative-south-african-company-doubled-investors-money-in-a-year/