Yoco, South Africa’s leading fintech innovator, has today announced the largest product release in its history at Yoco Next: Digital Product Showcase, an online event highlighting the company’s vision for the future of small business commerce.
Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, Yoco has grown from its origins as the well-known “blue card machine” company into an all-in-one digital commerce platform used by over 200,000 small businesses across the country.
“For too long, small business owners have faced the impossible choice between running their businesses or growing them,” said Carl Wazen, Yoco Co-founder. “Our expanded ecosystem eliminates this dilemma by giving entrepreneurs the tools to save time, save money, and gain the clarity they need to thrive in today’s challenging economy.”
The release includes more than 50 product innovations and updates that address three of the biggest challenges faced by small business owners today:
1. Reaching more customers
To unlock more revenue opportunities, Yoco has added Google Pay to its online checkout. This enables fast, 1-click payments through websites and social media for the 2.6 million South Africans using Google Pay. It complements Apple Pay, which has been available to Yoco merchants for over a year and has contributed to a 10%+ increase in online payment success rates.
2. Simplifying operations
Yoco has upgraded its free point of sale software with powerful new features like saved orders, split payments, and 1-click cash-up, available on its Khumo and Khumo Print card machines.
The company also unveiled Yoco Counter—a fully integrated point of sale system that combines a custom-built widescreen tablet, free point of sale software, and Yoco’s Neo Touch card machine. The system is easy to set up out of the box, and allows merchants to personalize their devices with branded screensavers.
These features eliminate the need for expensive point of sale hardware software—often costing R10,000 up front and over R600 per month—helping business owners save time and money while improving efficiency.
3. Gaining Business Clarity
Yoco’s expanded reporting and analytics tools help merchants track sales, inventory, and staff performance across multiple locations and platforms from a mobile or web app. The new iOS widgets feature allow merchants to view real-time sales directly from their iPhone lock screen—putting the power of insight in their pocket.
“What sets Yoco apart is how seamlessly we integrate payments, point of sale, and cash flow tools,” said Wazen. “We’ve built an intuitive platform where every piece enhances the next, creating a system that grows with our merchants.”
Real Impact for Real Businesses
Early adopters are already seeing measurable benefits.
Thandi Nkosi, owner of Sunshine Café in Cape Town, shared: “Managing payments and inventory used to take me 15–20 hours each month. With Yoco, it’s down to 3–4 hours. That’s more time for customers, and the insights help me make smarter decisions.”
The upgraded Yoco ecosystem is available immediately and offers flexible solutions for businesses at every stage, whether just starting out or scaling up. This milestone release represents a key step in Yoco’s long-term vision to become the all-in-one digital commerce platform for small businesses in Africa.
