Optique Optometrists
Optique Optometrists is a South African retail optometry chain operating 22 branches that offer subsidized R99 eye tests and an all-inclusive R2999 glasses package, serving individual consumers seeking affordable eye care across the country.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersPaarl, South Africa
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Optique Optometrists does
Optique Optometrists is a South African retail optometry chain founded in late 2017, headquartered in Paarl and operating 22 branches nationally. The company runs a simplified, fixed-price commercial model anchored on a subsidized R99 comprehensive eye test and an all-inclusive R2999 spectacles package (any frame, single-vision, bifocal, or multifocal lenses) with optional R1500 add-ons (self-tinting, blue-light protection). All spectacles use Essilor lenses exclusively, including the proprietary Optique DS digitally surfaced multifocal customized to the wearer's prescription and frame geometry; contact lens inventory draws from CooperVision, Alcon, and Johnson & Johnson brands sold via a Shopify-powered online store with home-delivery bypassed under HPCSA regulation in favor of in-branch collection.
The operating model is direct-to-consumer with a hybrid physical-and-digital footprint: in-branch eye examinations, frame selection, fitting, repairs, and driver's-license screenings; an e-commerce portal for booking, browsing, and contact-lens replenishment; and a 6-month interest-free payment plan (minimum R599 deposit, R375-R575 monthly) plus direct billing through 99% of South African medical aids. The company advertises a 4.8/5 star rating across 5,062 Facebook and Google reviews and an 86% net promoter score, serving more than 200,000 South Africans cumulatively since founding.
Optique was bootstrapped from personal credit cards and loans by founder Leon and co-founder/financial director Thia, with Paarl optometrist Arnold Smit as a founding-era partner who helped codify the original model. The company has taken its first institutional capital from Knife Capital in mid-2025 (date 2025-07-03), marking a transition from purely self-funded growth to externally financed expansion. Revenue, financial statements, and detailed unit economics are not publicly disclosed; the company positions itself around accessible eye care for the ~75% of South Africans priced out of the traditional R550-average eye-test market.
Optique Optometrists firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Optique Optometrists
- Legal name
- Optique Optometrists
- Website
- https://optique.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Optique Optometrists is a South African retail optometry chain operating 22 branches that offer subsidized R99 eye tests and an all-inclusive R2999 glasses package, serving individual consumers seeking affordable eye care across the country.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Optique Optometrists industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Optometry Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Optometrists (62132), Optical Goods Retailers (45613)
- SIC
- Ophthalmic Goods (3851)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Optometry Clinics (Primary Eye Care) (HLAKAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses) (HLAKAKAL)
Keywords
Where Optique Optometrists is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paarl
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
Optique Optometrists business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Eye Examination Services: Comprehensive eye tests at R99 (subsidized price). Professional signed prescription documents available for R400 additional fee.
- Spectacles Sales: One fixed price of R2999 for any frame and clear-lens combination including single vision, bifocal, or multifocal lenses with anti-reflective coating. Add-on features (self-tinting or blue-protection coating) available for R1500 per add-on.
- Contact Lens Sales: Online sales of CooperVision, Alcon, and Johnson & Johnson contact lenses. Products include Biofinity, Avaira Vitality, MyDay, Acuvue Oasys, and other major brands. Average delivery time 2-3 days.
- Payment Plan Interest: 6-month interest-free payment plan requiring minimum R599 deposit. Monthly payments range R375-R575 depending on deposit amount. No interest charged.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | R99 Eye Test - Comprehensive Eye Examination |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | R2999 All-Inclusive Glasses Package |
| Subscription | Monthly | 6-Month Interest-Free Payment Plan |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Full Payment Discount |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Optique Optometrists product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Optique Optometrists operates 22 retail optometry branches across South Africa offering comprehensive eye examinations at a subsidized R99 price, prescription eyeglasses under a flat-rate all-inclusive pricing model (R2999 for any frame and clear-lens combination), and contact lenses from leading brands. The company delivers eye care services and optical products directly to individual consumers through physical retail showrooms and a Shopify e-commerce platform, with exclusive lens supply from Essilor and contact lens supply from CooperVision.
Product overview
Optique Optometrists is an optometry practice network offering a simplified, affordable eye care experience across 22 branches in South Africa. The core offering includes prescription eyeglasses (frames with single vision, bifocal, or multifocal lenses), contact lenses from Cooper Vision, Alcon, and Johnson & Johnson, and comprehensive eye tests at R99. The company uses a single all-inclusive pricing model (R2,999 for any glasses) with optional add-ons including Crizal Easy anti-reflective coating, Transitions GEN 8 self-tinting lenses, Crizal Prevencia blue light protection, and EyeZen accommodative support lenses - all supplied through their exclusive partnership with Essilor for lenses. Additional services include frame repairs, adjustments, driver's license screening, contact lens assessments, lens replacement, and red-eye checks. The online store is powered by Shopify with Paystack and PayJustNow payment integrations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Prescription Eyeglasses and Frames Prescription eyeglass frames available in multiple styles, sizes (small, medium, large), materials (acetate, metal, plastic), and colors for men, women, kids, and unisex categories. Sold under a flat-rate R2999 all-inclusive price covering any frame and clear-lens combination including single vision, bifocal, or multifocal lenses with anti-reflective coating.
- Contact Lenses Prescription contact lenses from CooperVision, Alcon, and Johnson & Johnson brands, including single vision, multifocal, toric, and colored options in daily and monthly wear schedules. Available online with 2-3 day delivery to the nearest Optique store.
- R99 Comprehensive Eye Test Comprehensive eye examination subsidized at R99 to make eye care accessible. Includes full assessment of vision and eye health with clear explanation of results. An additional R400 fee applies if a professionally signed prescription document is required for use outside the practice.
- Frame Repairs On-site frame repair services for damaged eyewear using professional tools and techniques, offered as a complimentary support service to glasses customers.
- Frame Adjustments Professional frame adjustment services including heat shaping, bending, and alignment for proper fit, available free of charge to Optique customers.
- Driver's License Eye Screening Eye screening certificate service for driver's license renewal to verify visual acuity meets the official requirements before taking the official test.
- Contact Lens Assessment and Training Trial fitting and training service for first-time contact lens wearers, including assessment and instruction on proper insertion, removal, and care.
- Lens Replacement Custom lens replacement service that allows customers to make sunglasses from old frames or replace lenses in their current glasses with new prescriptions.
- Red-Eye Check Eye infection and foreign body examination service available by appointment with the optometrist for acute eye health concerns.
Quantifiable outcome
- 200,000+ South Africans served with eye health services
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Optique Optometrists
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Optique Optometrists technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature4 records
Optique Optometrists partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- EssilorcoreExclusive single lens supplier partnership. Essilor is the world's leading ophthalmic optics company with over 170 years of experience. Designs and manufactures high-quality lenses including Optique DS digitally surfaced multifocal lenses. Allocates more than €200 million annually to research and innovation. Also supplies all Optique practices with state-of-the-art examination equipment.
- CooperVisioncoreContact lens supplier for all Optique contact lens products. One of the leading global contact lens manufacturers. Products include Biofinity, Avaira Vitality, MyDay, and Proclear brands. Committed to helping people see better through scientific and technological innovation.
- 99% of South African Medical AidscoreDirect medical aid claiming agreements with 99% of all South African medical aid schemes. Patients don't need to pay upfront and claim back - Optique claims directly from medical aids.
- Arnold SmitcoreCo-founder and partner in second Optique practice in Paarl. Well-known optometrist who helped refine and develop the Optique business model.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Optique Optometrists competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Warby Parker: Warby Parker pioneered the affordable DTC optical model with simplified flat pricing and direct-to-consumer online ordering, sharing Optique's "eye care simplified" positioning and target of price-sensitive consumers who previously avoided optical retail.
- Lenskart: Lenskart is a high-growth India-based affordable optical retailer combining physical stores with strong online and omnichannel DTC, mirroring Optique's hybrid online-plus-branch affordable eyewear play at far larger scale.
- Clearly (formerly Clearly Contacts): Clearly is an online contact lens and eyewear retailer operating across markets including South Africa, selling the same global contact lens brands (CooperVision, Acuvue) via direct e-commerce and overlapping with Optique's online contact lens sales channel.
- Lenstore.co.uk: Lenstore is a UK-based online contact lens retailer selling CooperVision, Alcon and Johnson & Johnson lenses direct-to-consumer with subscription reordering, comparable to Optique's online contact lens channel that carries the same major brands.
Regional players
- Optical Eye Site / Local SA independents: Independent and small-chain South African optometrists (e.g., regional Optical Eye Site locations) compete for the same walk-in patient base and medical-aid claiming flow as Optique's 22 branches in localised geographies.
Direct peers
- Torga Optical: Torga Optical is a South African multi-branch optometry retailer offering eye exams, prescription eyewear and contact lenses with in-house optical labs, directly comparable to Optique's branch-and-lens model.
- Vision Works (Pepkor/Stratitude): Vision Works operates a national chain of optometry outlets in South Africa offering eye tests, frames, lenses and contact lenses through partnership optometrists, positioning it as a direct retail-level competitor to Optique.
- Specsavers South Africa: Specsavers is the largest optical retail chain in South Africa and directly competes with Optique across eye tests, prescription glasses and contact lenses through a multi-branch national footprint with similar target customers.
- Mellins iStyle Optometrists: Mellins is a long-established South African optometry chain with multiple branches selling eyewear, sunglasses and contact lenses, serving a similar mass-market consumer base as Optique.
Broad incumbents
- Essilor / EssilorLuxottica Retail Network: Essilor is Optique's exclusive lens supplier and the world's largest ophthalmic optics company; it provides lens technology and equipment to thousands of optometry practices globally, making it both a critical partner and a broad incumbent in the same value chain.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Optique Optometrists social profiles
Digital presenceOptique Optometrists financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Optique Optometrists leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Optique Optometrists funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Optique Optometrists M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Optique Optometrists
What does Optique Optometrists do?
Optique Optometrists operates 22 retail optometry branches across South Africa offering comprehensive eye examinations at a subsidized R99 price, prescription eyeglasses under a flat-rate all-inclusive pricing model (R2999 for any frame and clear-lens combination), and contact lenses from leading brands. The company delivers eye care services and optical products directly to individual consumers through physical retail showrooms and a Shopify e-commerce platform, with exclusive lens supply from Essilor and contact lens supply from CooperVision.
Is Optique Optometrists a public or private company?
Optique Optometrists is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Optique Optometrists founded?
Optique Optometrists was founded in 2017. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Optique Optometrists based?
Optique Optometrists is headquartered in Paarl, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Optique Optometrists make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Eye Examination Services are the primary driver. The others are spectacles Sales, contact Lens Sales and payment Plan Interest.
Who are Optique Optometrists's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Warby Parker, Lenskart, Clearly (formerly Clearly Contacts) and Lenstore.co.uk. Optical Eye Site / Local SA independents is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Torga Optical, Vision Works (Pepkor/Stratitude), Specsavers South Africa and Mellins iStyle Optometrists. Essilor / EssilorLuxottica Retail Network is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Optique Optometrists have an API?
No public API is recorded for Optique Optometrists.
What industry is Optique Optometrists in?
Optique Optometrists's product category is Optometry Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAKAKAB, Optometry Clinics (Primary Eye Care), with a secondary code of HLAKAKAL, Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses). Its NAICS code is 62132 and its SIC code is 3851.