For the third year, Fast Company collaborated with Accenture to score every application we received and identify more than 100 organizations, leaders, and teams that have created cultures of innovation in 2021—no easy task given that many employees have continued to work remotely this year. The companies on the Best Workplaces for Innovators found ways to collaborate and invent despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, and in some cases applied their innovation prowess to the challenges of virtual work.
And when talent and innovation intersect with mission—as it did for the South African fintech company Yoco, No. 93 on the Best Workplaces for Innovators ranking—the results are not just powerful, they can help change the world.
The fintech startup is the payments provider of more than 80,000 small businesses across the country. In response to the pandemic Yoco developed the Small Business Recovery Monitor that showed the ratio between pre-lockdown 2020 revenue and current revenue for small businesses. The dashboard became a key source of information to get a better understanding of the pandemic effect on small businesses in South Africa. It also provided real-time insights into how local businesses were faring during the lockdown.
Last week, Yoco announced what is considered as one of the largest investments for a South African tech startup. This once has proven to be a major endorsement for this local fintech company and another reason why it is worthy one of the best workplaces for innovators.
You can view the full list here and via our upcoming print issue.
Fast Company (SA)