Information is power. Many big brands have a fountain of information that they have gathered to help them serve their customers better. Most are increasingly realising that this same information can be processed and shared in a way that allows their customers to make data-driven decisions in their businesses. This is exactly what Yoco’s 2025 Exchange report is showing.
Yoco is trusted by over 200 000 South African small and medium-sized businesses. From solopreneurs and hustlers to established enterprises, Yoco services enable over 173 million transactions per year.
This article unpacks some highlights from the report.
Retail, Food and Beauty Sector Focus
The report focused on three of South Africa’s popular sectors. These were retail merchants, the food and beverage merchants, and hair and beauty merchants.
Retail Highlights
Data points that the report highlighted in the retail sector include basket size, timing, and geographical location.
Across all provinces, data noted that the most transactions recorded by retail merchants were between 11:00 and 13:00. Additionally, the basket size of consumers in Gauteng was 20% bigger than those in the Western Cape.
Food and Beverage Highlights
The beverage and food sector has shown that it is impacted heavily by seasonal fluctuations in the Western Cape in comparison to Gauteng. The Western Cape, despite its fewer Yoco merchants, indicated that it sees up to 90% seasonal fluctuations as tourists flock to the province in summer months. Yet, in spite of fluctuations, consistent revenue is seen based on targeted weekend brunches, driving over 20% of revenue in Cape Town alone. Nationally, Fridays and Saturdays consistently deliver a 14% increase in sales compared to weekdays.
Peak hours for food and beverages are between 11:00 and 14:00 daily across South Africa.
Beauty Highlights
Johannesburg’s hair and beauty sector is a R324 million industry. Interestingly, December sees customers spike to 28% regardless of province. Online beauty purchases are sitting at 43%.
When it comes to the most popular times for transactions, afternoon purchases seem to be the winner. A distinct pattern emerged among salons in Soweto: On Saturdays between 13:00 and 16:00 is peak time.
Digital Tools Drive Growth
Particular emphasis was placed on indicating in the report the impact that Yoco’s solutions had on the success of a business. Not only do tools such as Point of Sales (POS) Systems help digitise South African entrepreneurs, but they also help them to serve their customers and bring back returning clients.
Additionally, a tool such as an online gateway helps make online payments possible. A gateway turns any online store into an e-commerce platform that can safely transact.
“Safe” transactions mean helping prevent fraud, allowing easy payments and keeping sensitive data such as bank details secure.
Overall, Yoco’s data indicated revenue increases between 32% and 41% for POS customers. Additionally, sector-specific data indicates that beauty merchants can reach a larger number of customers through online shops that use their payment gateway.
The report also delved into the business growth that entrepreneurs across the three sectors were able to obtain through business funding solutions provided by the brand.
Three Pillars of Small Business Success
Katlego Maphai, CEO of Yoco, shares why the data is so important to have: “Small businesses are the heartbeat of our economy. What we’re seeing in our data isn’t just resilience, it’s a transformation of how entrepreneurs operate, compete, and win.”
According to Maphai, Yoco’s data identifies three keys that businesses need to thrive in 2025:
- Timing Mastery: Understanding peak periods, from retail’s midday surge to the December beauty rush. This is vital for business planning in slower months.
- Digital First Approach: Digital capabilities have become essential, not optional.
- Smart Capital Deployment: Strategic financing significantly accelerates growth, although the report doesn’t provide insight into how the businesses apply the capital development.
“These 173 million transactions represent more than commerce; they signify job creation, community building, and grassroots economic resilience,” Maphai emphasises. The benefits are widespread, enhancing regional economic diversification, supporting thousands of families, and accelerating digital transformation.
“The entrepreneurs are more sophisticated, data-driven, and successful than ever,” Maphai concludes, alluding to the clever utilisation of industry information collected and delivered in reports such as the Yoco 2025 Exchange report.
