Yoco Expands into AI-Driven Commerce with Acquisition of Dyner.ai

South African fintech leader Yoco has acquired Dyner.ai, a move signaling the company’s ambition to transform from a payments provider into a comprehensive commerce platform for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This acquisition comes as German executive Carsten Höltkemeyer prepares to take over as CEO.

Yoco, founded in 2015 by Katlego Maphai, Carl Wazen, Bradley Wattrus, and Lungisa Matshoba, currently serves over 200,000 merchants across South Africa. The company has been expanding its offerings beyond payments to include tools for sales management, business insights, and now, AI-powered commerce solutions.

Dyner.ai, founded by former Discovery actuaries Thalentha Ngobeni and Chris du Plessis, specializes in helping restaurants optimize operations through AI. Their software assists with inventory management, supplier relations, margin analysis, and overall efficiency improvements—particularly valuable for businesses seeking to maximize profitability while managing costs effectively.

The financial terms of the acquisition remain undisclosed, but analysts suggest it reflects growing investor interest in AI applications for SMEs across Africa. With this move, Yoco aims to provide merchants with a more holistic technology suite that addresses key challenges beyond payment processing.