Optasia

A unique JSE fintech with a long runway

- Keagan Higgins, CGMA, ACMA, investment analyst

Optasia (OPA) provides a rare form of JSE exposure: a scaled, profitable fintech platform embedded directly within telecom and mobile-money ecosystems across emerging markets (EMs). Founded in 2012, Optasia has more than a decade of operating history at scale.

It provides the AI decisioning, underwriting, and platform layer, while partner banks fund the loans.

The Group estimates a potential reach of c. 860 million underserved mobile network members through its telecom rails and data network partners. Only around 120 million are currently active users. That difference signals a significant runway for growth as Optasia deepens penetration within its existing footprint.

In these segments, traditional banks often struggle to price and distribute small-ticket credit efficiently. Optasia fills this gap by using telecom data and real-time decisioning inside daily mobile channels.