AltCoinTrader
AltCoinTrader is a Johannesburg-based, FSCA-licensed cryptocurrency exchange serving South African retail users with ZAR trading across 150+ assets, plus yield, merchant payment, and utility bill products via its ACT ecosystem.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersJohannesburg, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What AltCoinTrader does
AltCoinTrader (Pty) Ltd is a Johannesburg-based cryptocurrency exchange operating in South Africa since 2012 and self-described as the country's largest crypto platform. It is licensed as a Crypto Asset Service Provider and authorized as a Financial Service Provider (FSP# 53614) by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority, and is compliant with FIC Directive 9 / FATF Travel Rule requirements. The platform enables retail and SMB customers to buy, sell, and trade over 150 cryptocurrencies against the South African Rand (xZAR) across web, iOS, Android, and Huawei mobile apps, with an order book supporting both Basic and Advanced chart interfaces and a public trading API for bots and automated strategies.
The product portfolio extends beyond trading into a closed-loop wallet ecosystem. Easy Save offers reward-bearing crypto balances (up to ~7.18% APY on select assets) with no lock-ups or fees, ACT Pay enables xZAR payments at 650,000+ merchants via Zapper, Scan to Pay, and major South African retailers (Pick n Pay, Checkers, Shoprite, Takealot, Clicks, Makro), and ACT Buy supports airtime, data, voucher, and utility bill purchases. Multi-network support covers USDT, ETH, and USDC across eight or more blockchains (Optimism, Arbitrum, Base, Avalanche, BSC, Ethereum, Solana, TON, TRON, Polygon).
Revenue is generated transactionally through trading fees (now a tiered Maker/Taker model based on 30-day volume, effective June 2026) and an approximate 1.5% spread on Easy Buy/Sell, with ACT Pay and Easy Save offered at zero fees. Distribution relies on direct bank integrations with Nedbank, ABSA, and Capitec (via Stitch for 24/7 withdrawals), making the platform a fully fiat-native ZAR exchange rather than an international on-ramp. The company is privately held, bootstrapped, and operates with a small team (11–50 employees).
AltCoinTrader firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AltCoinTrader
- Legal name
- AltCoinTrader (Pty) Ltd
- Website
- https://altcointrader.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- AltCoinTrader is a Johannesburg-based, FSCA-licensed cryptocurrency exchange serving South African retail users with ZAR trading across 150+ assets, plus yield, merchant payment, and utility bill products via its ACT ecosystem.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AltCoinTrader industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cryptocurrency Exchange
- NAICS
- Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage (5231)
- SIC
- Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- On/Off-Ramp Providers (Fiat↔Crypto) & Cash-In/Cash-Out Networks (FSADAIAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Crypto Payment Gateways & Checkout APIs (FSADAIAA), Crypto Payments & Stablecoin Settlement Platforms (BPAMAFAL)
Keywords
Where AltCoinTrader is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Johannesburg
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
AltCoinTrader business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Trading Fees: Transaction fees charged on cryptocurrency buy and sell orders executed on the exchange platform. The platform transitioned to a tiered Maker/Taker fee structure where fee tiers are determined by prior 30-day trading volume, with higher volumes resulting in lower fees.
- Easy Buy/Sell Spread: Revenue generated from the spread between buy and sell prices on the Easy Buy/Sell feature, with a fee of approximately 1.5%
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Tiered Maker/Taker fees based on 30-day trading volume |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Easy Buy/Sell approximately 1.5% fee |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
AltCoinTrader product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AltCoinTrader operates South Africa's largest licensed cryptocurrency exchange platform, enabling individual users to buy, sell, trade, save, and spend over 150 cryptocurrency assets against the South African Rand. The platform provides a unified ecosystem combining advanced trading (Basic and Advanced chart interfaces), simplified trading via Easy Buy/Sell, yield-earning via Easy Save, merchant payments via ACT Pay at 650,000+ locations, and utility bill payments via ACT Buy, all accessible through web, mobile (iOS/Android/Huawei), and developer API channels.
Product overview
AltCoinTrader operates as a unified cryptocurrency exchange platform offering a comprehensive suite of trading and financial services. The core platform (AltCoinTrader Exchange) provides buy, sell, and trading functionality for over 150 crypto assets against South African Rand, featuring both Basic and Advanced trading interfaces with real-time charts. The product portfolio includes Easy Buy/Sell for simplified trading, Easy Save for earning rewards on crypto holdings, ACT Pay for spending crypto at 650,000+ merchants nationwide, and ACT Buy for purchasing airtime, data, and bills. The platform also offers mobile apps for Android, iOS, and Huawei devices, plus banking integrations through Nedbank, ABSA, and Capitec via Stitch for instant withdrawals. A public API enables developers to build trading bots and access platform functionality.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- AltCoinTrader Exchange Platform South Africa's largest cryptocurrency exchange platform enabling buy, sell, and trading of Bitcoin and over 150 crypto assets against South African Rand (xZAR). Provides both Basic and Advanced chart interfaces with real-time trading data, order books, and trade history for individual retail crypto traders.
- Easy Buy/Sell Simplified trading interface providing access to over 150 crypto assets for quick buying and selling with real-time pricing. Allows users to exchange between cryptocurrencies and ZAR with an approximately 1.5% trading fee, designed for individual users seeking a streamlined crypto trading experience.
- Easy Save Crypto savings product offering reward rates on held cryptocurrencies including xZAR (6.58%), TAO (7.18%), SOL (7.08%), AVAX (5.28%), DOT (4.62%), and others. Features no lock-in periods and no fees with instant access to funds for individual crypto holders seeking yield.
- ACT Pay Payment solution enabling users to spend cryptocurrency (xZAR) at over 650,000+ merchants nationwide via Scan to Pay, Zapper, and Pick n Pay integration. Features zero transaction fees with minimum R1 and maximum R100,000 transaction limits, designed for crypto holders wanting to use crypto for everyday purchases.
- ACT Buy Service enabling users to purchase airtime, data bundles, vouchers, and pay bills including municipal accounts and DSTV using xZAR balance. Supports Vodacom, MTN, Cell C, Telkom, Eskom Prepaid, DSTV, Easypay, and Checkers for individual users seeking utility payments via crypto.
- Trading API Public API accessible at api.altcointrader.co.za with documentation at docs.altcointrader.co.za. Enables developers to create trading bots, build real-time crypto applications, and execute automated trading strategies across 150+ crypto assets on the AltCoinTrader exchange.
Quantifiable outcome
- ACT Pay accepted at 650,000+ merchants nationwide
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use AltCoinTrader
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
AltCoinTrader technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration20 records
Feature6 records
AltCoinTrader partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- StitchcoreStitch partnership enables 24/7 instant withdrawals to any South African bank account. This feature is available to users with level 2 verification and higher, providing faster and more reliable transaction processing.
- ZappercoreZapper integration enables ACT Pay functionality, allowing users to pay at merchants using xZAR cryptocurrency via QR code scanning. This partnership positions AltCoinTrader as the first in the market to support Scan To Pay with crypto at over 600,000+ merchants.
- Pick n PaycorePick n Pay integration through ACT Pay enables users to pay for groceries and other purchases using xZAR via Scan to Pay functionality at Pick n Pay stores.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
AltCoinTrader competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Kraken: Long-standing global crypto exchange offering spot trading, staking, and OTC. Comparable on regulated exchange operations and professional trading API offering, competing for sophisticated SA retail traders.
- Crypto.com: Global exchange and crypto app offering trading plus a payments card network. Comparable on trading, yield (Earn), and merchant-payment dimensions, and competes for the same South African retail user via app store distribution.
- Coinbase: Largest US-listed crypto exchange with global app distribution and staking/yield products. Comparable on exchange functionality and regulatory posture, serving a broader geography but with overlapping retail customer profiles.
- Binance: Global crypto exchange leader offering spot trading, yield products, and P2P ZAR access to SA users. Comparable as a competitor in the same retail trading category but vastly larger and not SA-domiciled.
Regional players
- Yellow Card: Pan-African crypto on/off-ramp and exchange operating across multiple African countries. Comparable as an emerging-market crypto platform serving similar retail users with fiat-crypto conversion, but with different geographic focus.
- Quidax: Nigerian-licensed crypto exchange and on/off-ramp provider. Comparable as an African regional exchange targeting similar retail use cases (buy/sell/yield), though focused primarily on the Nigerian Naira market rather than ZAR.
Direct peers
- Luno: Headquartered alternative but with major South African operations; offers ZAR-crypto trading, is FSCA-licensed, and competes head-to-head with AltCoinTrader for the same SA retail audience. Luno is the most direct comparable peer by geography, product, and regulatory status.
- VALR: South African-registered crypto exchange offering ZAR spot trading across hundreds of pairs, institutional and retail APIs. Directly comparable as a domestic competitor with similar licensing footprint and target market.
Emerging players
- Paxful: Peer-to-peer crypto marketplace historically strong in Africa. Comparable on ZAR/crypto retail access use case, but uses P2P rather than order-book exchange model.
Others
- Stitch (Payit): South African fintech providing bank-to-platform payment connectivity used by AltCoinTrader. Included as a relevant ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor, given the partnership dependency.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AltCoinTrader social profiles
Digital presenceAltCoinTrader compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
AltCoinTrader financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AltCoinTrader leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
AltCoinTrader funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AltCoinTrader 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 AltCoinTrader
What does AltCoinTrader do?
AltCoinTrader operates South Africa's largest licensed cryptocurrency exchange platform, enabling individual users to buy, sell, trade, save, and spend over 150 cryptocurrency assets against the South African Rand. The platform provides a unified ecosystem combining advanced trading (Basic and Advanced chart interfaces), simplified trading via Easy Buy/Sell, yield-earning via Easy Save, merchant payments via ACT Pay at 650,000+ locations, and utility bill payments via ACT Buy, all accessible through web, mobile (iOS/Android/Huawei), and developer API channels.
Is AltCoinTrader a public or private company?
AltCoinTrader is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was AltCoinTrader founded?
AltCoinTrader was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is AltCoinTrader based?
AltCoinTrader is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does AltCoinTrader make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Trading Fees are the primary driver. The others are easy Buy/Sell Spread.
Who are AltCoinTrader's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Kraken, Crypto.com, Coinbase and Binance. Regional players are Yellow Card and Quidax. Direct peers are Luno and VALR. Paxful is listed as an emerging player. Stitch (Payit) is listed as an others.
Does AltCoinTrader have an API?
Yes. AltCoinTrader offers a public API accessible at api.altcointrader.co.za with documentation at docs.altcointrader.co.za. The API enables developers to create trading bots and provides access to over 150 different crypto assets. In May 2026, the exchange completed its largest ever system upgrade, which included a new and improved API providing faster, smoother trading experience. Developer documentation is at docs.altcointrader.co.za.
What industry is AltCoinTrader in?
AltCoinTrader's product category is Cryptocurrency Exchange. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSADAIAE, On/Off-Ramp Providers (Fiat↔Crypto) & Cash-In/Cash-Out Networks, with a secondary code of FSADAIAA, Crypto Payment Gateways & Checkout APIs. Its NAICS code is 5231 and its SIC code is 6200.