When we’re asked, “Is borrowing against my shares risky?” the honest answer is: it can be. The better question is how it’s being used... So we went to the data.
And what Mbulelo, our Head of EasyCredit, found reinforces something we’ve always believed about this community: investors here aren’t chasing leverage. They’re using EasyCredit tactically for liquidity, flexibility, and long-term positioning, while maintaining meaningful safety buffers.
Let’s break down what that actually looks like in numbers.
We’ve always said our investor community is savvy and smart and this is just more proof of that.
Here’s the break down on how the Easy community is making moves:
While we allow you to borrow up to 33% of your portfolio’s value (your LTV or "Loan-to-Value"), our community is playing it even safer.
The average LTV at initiation is just 20%.
Right now, the current average LTV across all open loans is sitting at 15.17%.
Essentially, our users are leaving a significant "safety buffer" to protect themselves against market dips. This discipline is why less than 2.6% of loans have ever triggered an actual margin call. Our community is managing risk like pros, at times in response to our early risk warning notifications.
One of the most encouraging stats we found is that 92% of closed loans were repaid before their maturity date. This tells us that EasyCredit is doing exactly what it was designed to do: provide a short-term bridge. Whether it's to cover a car repair or jump on a "buy the dip" opportunity, users aren't getting stuck in debt—they’re using the liquidity and then clearing the balance early.
How is the money actually moving? It turns out it’s a healthy mix of "real life" and "more growth."
The Liquidity: Within 30 days of getting their loan, 68% of users make a withdrawal, with 62% of issued funds flowing off the platform to handle life outside the app (think debt consolidation or emergencies).
The Growth: At the same time, 78% of borrowers make an investment within that same 30-day window.
In fact, 36% of the total value of all loans is reinvested back into portfolios. Our users are effectively using a single loan to solve a cash-flow need while keeping their investment momentum going.
EasyCredit was built to give you options and a way keep on track with you long term goals when life happens. By borrowing against your shares at Prime + 3%, you get the cash you need without being forced to sell your favorite stocks and missing out on future growth.
The numbers show a community that is disciplined, safety-conscious, and using credit to stay in the game.
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Any opinions, news, research, reports, analyses, prices, or other information contained within this research is provided by an employee of EasyEquities an authorised FSP (FSP no 22588) as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice for the purposes of the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act, 2002. First World Trader (Pty) Ltd t/a EasyEquities (“EasyEquities”) does not warrant the correctness, accuracy, timeliness, reliability or completeness of any information (i) contained within this research and (ii) received from third party data providers. You must rely solely upon your own judgment in all aspects of your investment and/or trading decisions and all investments and/or trades are made at your own risk. EasyEquities (including any of their employees) will not accept any liability for any direct or indirect loss or damage, including without limitation, any loss of profit, which may arise directly or indirectly from use of or reliance on the market commentary. The content contained within is subject to change at any time without notice.