A New Chapter for South African Fintech Leader Yoco

South African fintech company Yoco has announced Carsten Höltkemeyer as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), marking a significant milestone in the startup’s journey. This appointment comes after a period with co-CEOs while the company sought the right leader to spearhead its next phase of expansion.

Höltkemeyer brings extensive experience from scaling product-led financial services businesses at companies like Solaris, Barclays, and the Royal Bank of Scotland – precisely the expertise Yoco needs as it enters this critical growth inflection point. The company highlighted an immediate connection with Höltkemeyer’s vision for empowering small businesses.

Yoco has already established itself as a preferred payments partner for over 200,000 merchants across South Africa, facilitating more than $1 billion in annual card transactions. The startup provides essential tools and services that enable small businesses to accept payments, access financing, and manage their operations efficiently.

The company’s founders emphasized that this transition builds on Yoco’s existing foundation: “In 2015, our first chapter was about access – giving independent businesses in South Africa their first card machine. Now, we’re entering a new era focused on providing merchants with intelligent, integrated capabilities to not just participate, but truly thrive in the digital economy.”

Höltkemeyer expressed his enthusiasm for joining Yoco: “I’m looking forward to working alongside the team to build what comes next – creating a genuine commerce partner that levels the playing field for independent businesses.”

Yoco’s vision is to create an all-in-one smart commerce platform that leverages AI, software, and fintech advancements in a simple, affordable way. The company aims to provide merchants with data-driven insights and personalized support to maximize revenue and streamline operations.

The founding team remains actively engaged in Yoco’s future, focusing on product innovation while Höltkemeyer brings his scaling expertise to match the company’s ambitious goals.