Yoco, a South African financial technology firm that provides payment devices and commerce software to more than 200,000 merchants, announced an expansion of its product portfolio to include operational management tools. The company unveiled 20 new features during an industry event in Johannesburg, adding software integrations for inventory tracking, customer loyalty programs, savings accounts and sector-specific applications. The technology provider also stated it will implement an annual transaction fee reduction of R250 million across its merchant network.
The platform expansion aims to consolidate the operational software stack used by independent retailers. Merchants currently utilize separate applications for booking management, cash flow monitoring, accounting and point-of-sale reporting.
“Yoco started by giving independent businesses access to payments,” said Carl Wazen, co-founder and chief business officer at Yoco. “Today, we are giving them the tools that used to belong only to big business, at a price built for small business.”
The vendor plans to deploy an artificial intelligence assistant called Yoco AI in the third quarter of 2026. This deployment follows the May acquisition of Dyner.ai, a developer of an operating system designed for small and medium-sized enterprises. The integration will analyze transaction metrics and customer behavior to support operational decision-making. The company also introduced Yoco Connect, a centralized hub that links external e-commerce platforms and accounting software directly to its payment terminals. The firm released dedicated operational software for restaurants, retail stores and wellness centers.
“We are no longer just a payments company,” Carsten Höltkemeyer, chief executive officer at Yoco, told TechCabal. “We are a company that helps business owners reduce administrative burdens and simplify everyday operations through modern technology and innovation.”
The introduction of unified management software targets the operational complexity facing domestic retailers who manage local manufacturing and physical store locations while competing against global e-commerce competitors.
“Manufacturing in South Africa comes with limitations; costs remain a huge challenge, and customers compare us to global fast-fashion giants like Shein and Temu,” said Kelly Gibberd, founder of Cape Town-based fashion retailer Me&B, a company that employs 55 people and supports 10 local factories.
The transaction fee reduction, which lowers costs by up to 40 percent in specific network segments, operates in tandem with the software expansion to support merchant retention.
“If you can use data to better understand your revenue streams, customer behaviour and business performance, you’re in a stronger position to succeed,” said Höltkemeyer. “We want to give merchants access to the kinds of insights and capabilities that large corporations have traditionally enjoyed.”
