The Johannesburg Stock Exchange has listed three new inflation-linked Actively Managed Exchange Traded Funds from EasyETFs — Easy3, Easy5 and Easy7 — each targeting real returns above inflation across different risk profiles and investment horizons. The funds are the public-market version of EasyRetire RISE’s top-performing retirement portfolios, two of which ranked first in their peer categories over five years. All three are Regulation 28 compliant, eligible for Tax-Free Savings Accounts, and available with no minimum investment through platforms supporting fractional trading. The listing brings the JSE’s total ETF count to 135 with combined market capitalisation exceeding R267 billion.
Key Overview
- Funds listed: EasyETFs CPI +3 (EASY3), CPI +5 (EASY5), CPI +7 (EASY7)
- Fund type: Actively Managed Exchange Traded Funds (AMETFs)
- Return targets: CPI +3% over 3 years, CPI +5% over 5 years, CPI +7% over 7 years
- Total JSE ETFs: 135
- JSE ETF market capitalisation: Over R267 billion
- Assets under management (EasyRetire RISE): Approximately R18 billion
- EasyETFs total AUM: Crossed R2 billion in March 2026
- TFSA eligible: Yes, all three funds
- Minimum investment: None (via fractional trading platforms)
The Johannesburg Stock Exchange continued its rapid expansion of exchange-traded products this week with the listing of three new inflation-linked Actively Managed Exchange Traded Funds from EasyETFs. The funds — Easy3, Easy5 and Easy7 — each aim to beat South Africa’s consumer price index by a specified margin over rolling multi-year periods, catering to investors with varying risk tolerances and time horizons.
The new listings are not entirely new strategies. They are the publicly listed versions of EasyRetire RISE’s CPI-linked retirement portfolios, which have built an impressive institutional track record. As at 28 February 2026, the RISE CPI+3 and CPI+5 portfolios ranked number one in their respective peer categories over five years, while the CPI+7 portfolio ranked second. EasyRetire RISE currently manages approximately R18 billion in assets across 27 client mandates and serves more than 7,000 fund members.
How the Three Funds Differ
Each fund is designed around a distinct risk-return profile. Easy3 targets a real return of CPI +3% over rolling three-year periods and takes a conservative, capital-preservation approach. It emphasises income generation and stability, investing in a diversified mix of local and global asset classes including equities, bonds, property and cash.
Easy5 sits in the middle, targeting CPI +5% over rolling five-year periods with a moderate-risk profile. The portfolio balances capital growth and income generation through diversified exposure to both domestic and offshore assets, making it a bridge between conservative and growth-oriented strategies.
Easy7 is the most aggressive of the three, targeting CPI +7% over rolling seven-year periods. It places greater emphasis on growth assets, particularly equities, while still maintaining diversification across asset classes. All three are actively managed using a research-driven approach and constructed in line with South African retirement fund regulations, specifically Regulation 28 of the Pension Funds Act, which governs asset allocation limits and ensures diversification.
Context: South Africa’s Inflation Landscape
The inflation-beating mandate of these funds comes at a time when South Africa’s consumer inflation environment is relatively subdued. According to Statistics South Africa, headline CPI stood at 3.1% year-on-year in March 2026, up slightly from 3.0% in February. The most recent data shows inflation rose to 4.0% in April 2026, marking a noticeable uptick.
The South African Reserve Bank now targets headline CPI inflation at 3%, following a new framework adopted in November 2025 that replaced the previous 3–6% target range in place since 2000. The SARB’s policy rate was held at 6.75% in March 2026. In this environment, CPI-plus strategies need to deliver meaningful real returns above a baseline that is already historically low, making active management and diversification essential components.
The Broader AMETF Boom on the JSE
The EasyETFs listings are part of a much larger structural shift on the JSE. Before October 2022, South African ETFs were required to track a published index, effectively excluding any form of active management. The JSE’s landmark rule change in late 2022 opened the door for AMETFs, placing active and passive products on equal footing for the first time.
The impact has been significant. In 2025, the JSE saw a steady rise in AMETF listings, with major asset managers including Allan Gray, Ninety One, Amplify and Prescient all bringing actively managed strategies to the exchange. By early 2026, the Cartesian EasyETFs Balanced AMETF became the first JSE listing of the year, followed by the Ivy EasyETFs AI Innovation AMETF in March.
The ETF market capitalisation on the JSE rose 29% in 2025, growing by approximately R60 billion year-on-year. With the latest EasyETFs listings, the exchange now hosts 135 ETFs with combined market capitalisation exceeding R267 billion — a dramatic expansion from just 74 ETFs with R68 billion in market cap in 2019. Globally, the trend mirrors what is happening in South Africa. According to BlackRock, nearly half of all global ETF launches in 2024 were AMETFs, and active ETF assets are expected to reach US$4 trillion within five years.
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EasyEquities and the Democratisation of Investing
The funds are issued by EasyETFs, which is part of the Purple Group’s broader ecosystem anchored by the EasyEquities platform. Founded in 2014 by CEO Charles Savage, EasyEquities introduced fractional share ownership to South Africa, allowing investors to buy portions of shares for as little as a few rand. The platform has since grown to serve over a million active users and received R2 billion in deposits in a single month as recently as February 2026.
EasyETFs itself crossed R2 billion in assets under management in March 2026, less than 18 months after launch, underscoring the appetite for accessible listed investment products among South African retail investors.
“The listing of the EasyETFs Rise CPI-linked range of AMETFs reflects our continued focus on building accessible, diversified investment solutions designed for long-term wealth creation,” said Savage. “At EasyEquities, we believe retirement investing should be easier to understand, easier to access, and built around investor needs.”
Tax Efficiency and Accessibility
All three funds are eligible for inclusion in a Tax-Free Savings Account, enabling South African investors to maximise after-tax returns. They can be bought and sold on the JSE with no minimum investment when accessed through platforms supporting fractional trading, removing a traditional barrier for smaller investors.
A major near-term initiative for the platform includes integrating retirement balances directly into the EasyEquities application, giving members a real-time consolidated view of their retirement savings alongside the rest of their investment portfolio.
Adèle Hattingh, specialist securities manager at the JSE, said the listings reflect the continued vitality of the exchange’s ETF sector. “We are proud to provide a platform where local issuers can offer high-performance, research-driven solutions to a broad range of investors.”
What It Means for South African Investors
As the JSE celebrates its 139th year of operation, the exchange remains the largest on the African continent and a gateway for global capital. With South Africa’s collective investment scheme industry managing nearly R4 trillion in assets — nearly half of which sits in multi-asset portfolios — the shift toward listed, transparent, actively managed alternatives represents a significant evolution in how South Africans can build long-term wealth.
The EasyETFs CPI-linked range offers a clear proposition: professionally managed, inflation-beating portfolios that were previously accessible only through institutional retirement mandates, now available to anyone with a brokerage account and a few rand to spare.
Sources: Bizcommunity / FANews / Daily Investor / JSE / CN&CO / allAfrica / Prescient / Daily Maverick / Nairametrics / Statistics South Africa / MoneyMarketing / FSP Invest / Moneyweb
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