🎥First ETF in 30 minutes: EasyEquities and Vault22 walkthrough

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You don't need a finance degree, a trader screen, or a spreadsheet hobby to start investing. One ETF can get you instant diversification across a market, theme, or asset class, with a single buy.

If you’re still deciding whether ETFs beat picking shares one by one, start with diversification for millennial portfolios.

If you are still deciding whether ETFs beat picking shares one by one, the short version is this: they reduce single-stock risk, simplify decision-making, and lower the odds of rookie mistakes. Once you buy your first ETF, dividends can also start working in the background if you choose to reinvest them instead of withdrawing cash.

Before you tap “buy”, decide these two things:

1) JSE ETF or global ETF?
JSE-listed ETFs are rand-based and trade on the JSE. Global ETFs give you offshore exposure, which can reduce South Africa-only concentration risk, but they also introduce currency movement into your returns.

2) Tax-free account or standard account?
A tax-free savings account protects growth, dividends, and interest from tax, but SARS limits contributions to R36,000 per tax year and R500,000 over your lifetime, across all providers. Exceed those limits and penalties apply.

A tax-free account is not a shortcut or a loophole. It is a long-term wrapper with hard contribution caps. If you withdraw, that contribution room is gone for good, which makes this a core wealth bucket rather than a flexible cash reserve.

EasyEquities walkthrough (first ETF, step-by-step)

EasyEquities is a regulated platform that supports whole shares and fractional share rights. This means you can buy a portion of an ETF without needing the full price of one unit.

Step 1: Open the account
Sign up, complete identity checks, and add your bank details. Many users are verified digitally, although additional documents can be requested if checks do not pass automatically.

Step 2: Fund it (this is where “30 minutes” can work, or fail)
EasyEquities supports standard EFT and instant deposit options through payment partners. Instant deposits can reflect quickly, while standard EFTs may take longer to allocate.

Step 3: Pick the right wallet
The platform uses separate wallets for different account types, including ZAR, tax-free, and international accounts. You must have funds in the correct wallet before you place a trade.

Step 4: Find your ETF and place the trade
Navigate to ETFs, select the product you want, enter the amount, confirm the account, and place the order.

Step 5: Know what you paid
Brokerage is charged per transaction, with a minimum fee, and additional costs may apply depending on how you use the platform. Fees are not complicated, but they should be understood before this becomes a monthly habit.

Your first ETF does not need to be clever; it needs to be repeatable. A platform that makes funding and buying simple will outperform a perfect strategy you never stick to.

Vault22 walkthrough (first ETF, step-by-step)

Vault22 is the financial wellness app that followed the rebrand of 22seven, with investing added alongside budgeting and account aggregation.

Vault22 positions its investing feature around curated ETF portfolios and states that it charges zero platform fees, with portfolios adjusted according to your risk profile.

Step 1: Download the app and create your profile
Vault22 allows you to link multiple South African financial accounts, giving you a consolidated view of your money in one place.

Step 2: Complete the investor profile
The app uses your responses to build a portfolio across different asset classes, with allocations ranging from conservative to aggressive.

Step 3: Start contributing
Vault22 highlights low minimum contribution amounts for investing. These minimums and product details should always be checked inside the app before committing.

Step 4: Understand what “zero platform fees” means
Zero platform fees do not mean zero costs. ETFs still carry underlying fund fees, and other charges can apply depending on how the investment is structured.

Pick the platform you can stick with. Even the best ETF strategy falls apart if the admin experience makes you quit early.

EasyEquities vs Vault22: which one gets you to “first ETF” faster?

EasyEquities works better if you want control.
You choose the ETF, the timing, the account type, and the contribution amount, including fractional purchases.

Vault22 works better if you want guidance and automation.
The emphasis is on curated portfolios and regular contributions, with fewer decisions required.

The real deal-breaker is friction. If funding takes days, “ETF in 30 minutes” becomes “ETF next week." Deposit methods matter more than the platform’s marketing promise.

The three mistakes that derail a first-time ETF plan

Buying with short-term money
ETF prices move. This is long-term capital, not emergency cash.

Ignoring tax rules
Dividends tax in South Africa is generally withheld at 20%, and tax-free accounts have strict contribution limits with penalties for exceeding them.

Not checking fees
Fees compound as well, just in the wrong direction. Understanding costs once is enough to avoid slow, silent drag later.

If you want the simplest starting point, pick one broad, diversified ETF, buy it on the same day each month, and stop checking it like a social feed.

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