Leadership lessons from Katlego Maphai, CEO of Yoco

WHEN Katlego Maphai announced that he was stepping down as the CEO of Yoco I was shocked and wondered why and also reflected on lessons from this great founder within the South African startup ecosystem.

- WESLEY DIPHOKO

KATLEGO Maphai the co-founder and CEO of Yoco.

In a LinkedIn post he said:“Just over ten years ago, three friends and I set out with a simple idea: to make card payments accessible to small businesses in South Africa and beyond. We challenged the old way of doing things, leveraging technology and innovation to cut through bureaucracy, and built a platform that has become ubiquitous.

"Today, Yoco is a household name in South Africa, serving over 200 000 businesses and processing billions in payments each year. But beyond the numbers, what I'm most proud of is that we sparked a movement: showing that small businesses are not just part of the economy, they are the economy.

"After a decade at the helm, I've made the deeply personal decision to step down as CEO of Yoco. This was not an easy choice, but after taking some time, it became clear that the skills and energy needed to start and build a company are not always the same as those required to scale it to the next level. This is not goodbye. Yoco is part of me. I will remain engaged as a founder, working on longer-term, strategic topics that strengthen our impact. But it is time for new leadership at the helm.

"Taking the reins as co-CEOs are my fellow founders, Lungisa Matshoba and Bradley Wattrus. Lungisa will lead innovation and product growth, while Bradley will focus ongovernance and scalability. Carl Wazen will continue to lead go-to-market and commercial operations. This founder-led transition ensures continuity while also empowering a new generation of leadership within Yoco.