South Africa is still a cash-based economy, says Optasia. (Image source: iStock) Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered fintech company Optasia is stepping up its push into South Africa, betting that AI-driven credit scoring can unlock financial services for millions of people who remain underserved by the country’s formal banking sector. Speaking to ITWeb in an interview yesterday,…
Optasia CEO Salvador Anglada Optasia will distribute more than US$6-billion in credit across its markets in 2026 – and it carries every cent of the default risk itself. In this episode of the TechCentral Show, CEO Salvador Anglada unpacks how the JSE’s biggest recent fintech listing actually works. Formerly known as Channel VAS, Optasia was…
Optasia CEO Salvador Anglada Optasia has secured US$330-million (R5.4-billion) in refinanced and upsized debt facilities, with Standard Bank acting as joint mandated lead arranger and underwriter in a deal that deepens the banking group’s relationship with the JSE-listed fintech. The facilities comprise a $180-million term loan and $150-million in bank guarantees, and are designed to…
Banking group FirstRand has increased its shareholding in JSE-listed fintech Optasia to 26.1% after acquiring an additional 6% stake in a deal worth about R1.48-billion. The banking group purchased 74.1 million ordinary shares at R20 each on 25 March from an entity owned by Bassim Haidar, Optasia’s founder and non-executive director. The transaction follows FirstRand’s…
Salvador Anglada Optasia CEO Salvador Anglada says the very same algorithms that made credit-vetting decisions via mobile wallets can be used in formal banking. Newly listed, technology-driven fintech Optasia sees the formal banking sector as a “massive opportunity” for growth as the company’s microfinancing business continues to overtake its traditional airtime advance offering. Speaking to…
Salvador Anglada Optasia, the fintech that listed on the JSE in November, has delivered a set of maiden annual results that comfortably exceed the guidance it gave investors at the time of its R23.5-billion listing. Revenue jumped 76% to US$265.4-million for the year ended 31 December 2025, while normalised net income rose 57% to $57.8-million….
Salvador Anglada, Optasia CEO. Artificial intelligence (AI)-led fintech Optasia has reported strong financial results for 2025, delivering revenue growth of 76% in its first full year after listing and exceeding guidance provided during its initial public offering (IPO). Optasia listed on the JSE in November last year, raising about R6.5 billion through its IPO and…
Romeo Kumalo, the former Vodacom Group executive and co-founder of LLH Capital Ltd., plans to raise a $200 million private equity fund to invest in artificial intelligence-focused companies across Africa. The move follows LLH Capital’s profitable exit from Optasia, the fintech and AI platform that debuted on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange this week with a…
Dubai-based fintech group Optasia officially listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) on Tuesday, November 4, after a R6.5 billion ($345 million) initial public offering priced at R19 per share, the top of its range. The offering was several times oversubscribed, resulting in Optasia having a market capitalization of R23.5 billion ($1.4 billion). The stock…
Emerging markets fintech Optasia has confirmed it will list on the JSE at a valuation of R23.5-billion following the closing of its bookbuilding period on Thursday. The company – backed by former First National Bank CEO Michael Jordaan – confirmed that its share offer closed at the top end of the R15.50 to R19/share range…
