Ethos-backed Optasia to float on JSE in major fintech IPO

Ethos-backed Optasia to float on JSE in major fintech IPO


Optasia CEO Salvador Anglada. Image: Supplied

Optasia, a fintech company partly owned by Ethos Capital, plans to list on the JSE and raise up to R6.3-billion by selling a combination of new and existing shares.

The company, which operates AI-powered financial services in 38 countries, will raise about R1.3-billion in a lsiting and also hold a private placement of at least R5-billion for existing shareholders, it said in a statement.

“An IPO will allow us to accelerate our growth, raise our visibility as a leading global fintech and continue innovating to expand financial opportunity where it is needed most,” CEO Salvador Anglada said.

Optasia, headquartered in Dubai, provides micro-financing and mobile phone airtime credit to people who often don’t have traditional bank accounts, primarily in emerging markets. The company said it had around 121 million monthly active users and processed over 32 million loan transactions daily.

It was founded in 2012 and operates mostly in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Its distribution partners include South African mobile operators MTN and Vodacom as well as Airtel.  — (c) 2025 Reuters

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