Spring 21 Capstone 640pm

Cotlands is proud to be partnering with EasyEquities for a cause related marketing initiative with their investor community through #DonateForGood.  EasyEquities and the EasyCommunity want to play their part by supporting Cotlands beneficiaries that are adversely affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. EasyEquities have created a feature on their platform inviting investors to donate to our organisation. You can make a donation on the share purchase page on the EasyEquities platform. All you need to do is to make sure you have enough funds in your available cash. This donation feature is available in the EasyEquities ZAR and TFSA accounts. 

First announced last year in December, EasyEquities crowdfunding campaign entailed an indirect investment into a Mauritian entity which would then subsequently invest in the 10 startups from Startupbootcamp Cape Town‘s first cohort. The investment round was initially slated for launch on 15 January, however this was postponed earlier this month to 1 February so that the platform could update the shareholder prospectus — which lays out the terms of the investment.

The EasyEquities platform is powered by First World Trader ("FWT"), meaning it runs on FWT's core infrastructure, but it is a simplified offering in terms of the user interface and the investment offering is designed to keep costs to a minimum and the process intuitive and easy.

By now, the robo advisors are familiar to almost all fintech watchers.  These are the startups which have garnered media attention and customers given digital native investment accounts.  Their services include automated portfolio planning, automatic asset allocation, online risk assessments, account re balancing and other digital tools. Fees are competitive and range between 15 to 35 basis points of AUM.  Well known players include Betterment, Wealthfront, Motif and Folio, among others.

South Africa“South Africa was an early adopter of QR code-based payments,” said Gabriel Swanepoel, vice president of business integration at Mastercard Southern Africa. “The first QR code app was introduced by SnapScan, a subsidiary of Standard Bank, in 2013.”QR codes are a prevalent method of payment in South Africa.

Simplicity is a key feature of this type of investing. All investors need to do is create a username and password and typically answer between 10 to 15 basic financial questions to open an account. The service then plugs your answers into an algorithm that determines the portfolio and asset allocation that is appropriate for your age, risk tolerance and how long you wish to invest. Rob advisors typically follow passive investments such as tracker funds and exchange traded funds (ETF) based on modern portfolio theory research.

Easy Equities is an easy to use platform where you can buy equities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and exchange-traded notes (ETNs), as well as other baskets and bundles. If the term ‘safe’ in your question means that it’s a legitimate and licensed platform, and the person running Easy Equities is not going take your money and buy themselves a Ferrari and post it on Instagram, then yes, Easy Equities is ‘safe

Consumers can download the MasterPass app from their app store, register, and load their credit, debit or cheque cards from any bank into the digital wallet. To pay, Masterpass users simply need to scan a QR code, or SnapCode, displayed at point of sale or online at a wide range of SnapScan merchants including coffee shops, professionals like doctors and market vendors. They then enter the payment amount into their Masterpass app and confirm the transaction with their ATM pin code or a one-time pin code sent to their mobile phones.

Fintech, at the heart of the banking sector revolutionObviously, Fintechs and traditional banks adopt very different strategies. Indeed, while traditional institutions have a long-term vision (analysis of the financial market, risk amortization), neobanks prefer immediate action.Thus, we can consider that there are two categories of Fintech on the market. On the one hand, regulated companies that ensure compliance with regulatory constraints, and on the other, those that adopt a completely different strategy based on customer satisfaction.The first category positions itself as a direct competitor of banking establishments, while the second opts for cooperation and encourages the buyout or majority stake.Fintechs base their strategy on customer dissatisfaction, especially with their bank . These new shoots seek to improve every aspect of the banking relationship, as a priority, by neglecting issues related to organization, compliance and profitability.However, professionals remain skeptical. Do these FinTechs really hope to succeed in a few months, where several players have been striving for years? By this we mean the fact of wanting to change the regulations of the sector or even the constitution of a team of experts within a short time.So far, experts in the banking industry doubt a real revolution in banking regulation.Traditional banks remain priority players in the marketDespite the emergence of remote banking and the new measure on banking mobility , traditional banks remain the majority players in the market. Indeed, new brands are still struggling to reach the same level as a "real" bank.In addition, for the time being, income from investment funds and venture capitalists has not been of much use to the banking sector. Remember, however, that it is thanks to them that certain brands such as Uber, Amazon or Tesla have succeeded.Today, players in e-commerce are using capital increases to compensate for losses, a technique that has not yet been adopted in the banking sector. As a starting point, SoftBank has already started by building up a $ 100 billion fund for banking technology.

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In the first case, a merchant is given a designated QR code by their acquirer that is linked to their bank account in the backend. Customers must scan the QR code using the camera on their smart device and then enter the amount to be paid and their individual PIN in order to complete the transaction. An example of this method is SnapScan.

Arguably the bank’s most well-known fintech acquisition in recent years is the QR code payment app SnapScan. In 2016 the bank acquired a majority share of Firepay, the company behind Snapscan, for an undisclosed stake.Firepay, which was co-founded in 2013 through startup incubator FireID by Kobus Ehlers and Malan and Philip Joubert among others, launched the SnapScan app in partnership with Standard Bank in 2014.

ut the boxSnapScan is providing a uniquely digital solution, where you can download as many SnapCodes as you like from the Merchant Portal and display these anywhere you want to accept contactless mobile payments. You also have the option to purchase a SnapScan Starter Kit when you successfully sign up your business. This includes a printed SnapCode in a stand, a double-sided sticker, and info flyers for first time app users. Display your SnapCode anywhere you want to accept mobile payments. You'll automatically receive confirmation of payment via SMS.

SnapScan combines the agility and speed of a small local startup with the industry knowledge and experience of Standard Bank, Africa’s biggest bank. As a team, we love solving difficult problems, especially when it comes to making fast, easy mobile payments possible! SnapScan is a product of FireID Payments, part of the FireID group, a set of local startups building elegant solutions to a wide range of difficult and interesting problems.