Optasia founder Bassim Haidar has sold R1.482 billion 86.4 million worth of shares in the JSE-listed fintech to FirstRand, sharply cutting his stake in the company just five months after one of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange's biggest new listings in years.
The transaction involved 74,103,711 ordinary shares, equal to 6 of Optasia's issued share capital, sold at R20 a share by Zoey Enterprises, an associate of an entity owned by Haidar. FirstRand bought the block through FirstRand Investment Holdings, lifting its shareholding in Optasia from 20.1 to 26.1. Settlement was expected on or about March 30, 2026.
The sale puts Haidar back in the market conversation at a sensitive time. Optasia made its debut on the JSE in November 2025 in what Moneyweb described as one of the biggest new listings on the bourse in several years. At the time, FirstRand took an initial 20.1 strategic stake valued at about R4.7 billion. Before the listing, Haidar held an estimated stake of more than 18 through Zoey Enterprises. He now holds an indirect 1.5 shareholding, according to the latest disclosures, marking a substantial reduction in his economic interest even as he continues to serve as a non-executive director.
