Optasia, the AI-enabled micro financing solutions and airtime credit solutions group intends to list all its shares on the JSE’s Prime segment in November and will also raise about R1.3 billion through an issue of shares, while some R5bn of shares will be sold to selected institutional investors.
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Optasia, an innovative player in AI-enabled micro financing and airtime credit solutions, revealed its plans to list on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) this November, targeting revenue growth exceeding 50% for its financial year ending in 2025, and over 25% in 2026.
The group is also targeting low to mid-twenties revenue growth percentages over the medium term, according to the pre-listing statement released Monday.
Optasia is looking to raise about R1.3 billion through a share issuance aimed at bolstering both organic growth and strategic acquisitions. Additionally, a further R5bn through a secondary share sale will be procured via a private placement to selected institutional investors. The company plans to offer up to 83.95 million shares, with an expected price range of R15.50 to R19 per share, making up 30.4% of its total share capital.
As of June 30, 2025, Optasia has established a robust network comprising 49 distribution partners and 13 financial institutions, boasting 121 million monthly active users across emerging markets The company processes over 32 million loan transactions daily, dispelling more than $13m daily, and has achieved a cumulative distribution value of $23bn since 2016.
For the financial year ending December 31, 2024, Optasia reported revenue of $151.2m and adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) of $75.1m.
Both revenue and adjusted EBITDA had seen compound annual growth rates of 10.4% and 13.1%, respectively, between 2022 and 2024.
In the most recent six months leading to June 2025, Optasia experienced staggering increases of 90.3% in revenue and 91.3% in adjusted EBITDA compared to the same period in 2024, underlining the company's momentum.
Since inception in 2012, Optasia has diversified its product offerings, shifting from solely providing airtime credit solutions to a comprehensive real-time credit profiling portfolio. This transition to mobile financial solutions (MFS) has paid dividends, as MFS now contributes 62% of overall revenue, up from just 1% in 2019. Airtime credit services (ACS) account for the remaining 37%.
The driving forces fueling Optasia's growth trajectory include favourable demographic trends, increasing income levels, and an intensifying penetration of mobile services. The rapid adoption of mobile wallets across Sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia further solidifies the company's position in the market. As the traditional credit systems remain limited, Optasia steps in to empower millions with mobile money credit solutions, reaching underserved communities at scale.
Central to its success are Optasia's enduring partnerships with industry giants, including MTN, Airtel, Vodacom, and Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, alongside several financial institutions. The company prides itself on maintaining a consistent positive cash flow since its inception without resorting to primary capital raises.
“Optasia possesses a unique combination of competitive moats that place it as one of the largest and fastest-growing AI-powered fintech platforms facilitating financial access in emerging markets,” states the company directors.
Looking ahead, Optasia has decided not to declare any dividends for the six-month period ending December 31, 2025. However, prospective investors can anticipate dividend payments beginning in the year ending December 31, 2027, with a targeted payout ratio of 20% of headline earnings per share going forward.
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