Facing a nascent digital ecosystem, he developed a platform designed to connect supply and demand. The solution streamlines the product ordering and delivery process, mirroring international models while adapting them specifically to local Congolese practices.

Yves Kalonda, an entrepreneur specializing in e-commerce solutions tailored for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is the Founder and CEO of Yoteh, a digital platform designed to facilitate online purchasing in the country.

Launched in February 2025, Yoteh (Swahili for "everything") is accessible via a website and a mobile application available on the App Store. The platform offers multiple product categories, including fashion items for men and women, as well as electronic equipment.

In an interview with We Are Tech Africa, Kalonda explained that every item listed undergoes meticulous quality control before validation. The company maintains a warehouse in China, from which products are shipped to Kinshasa in seven to ten days using partner freight forwarders. Shipping costs are borne by the customers.

Despite operating without a marketing budget, Yoteh currently registers 100 new users monthly, with a conversion rate of 15% to 20%.

Kalonda credited his participation in the Orange Fab acceleration program in the DRC with helping him structure the business. The experience, he said, "opened my eyes to concepts not yet mastered: preparing a pitch deck and what it should or should not contain. Basically, Orange Fab allowed us to learn the foundations of a startup and how to structure it."

Looking ahead, the startup plans to expand its delivery services to Côte d'Ivoire, Congo, Gabon, and Angola by 2028. For now, however, Kalonda emphasized a national focus. "For the moment, we remain concentrated on the DRC. We want to impact our own country first," he said. He added that the company plans to establish its own transport agency within a year to minimize package shipping costs.

Before Yoteh, Kalonda launched Akili-Shop in 2019, a brand specializing in the sale of eyewear. He continues to serve as General Manager of Akili-Shop, whose name is inspired by the Swahili word for "intelligence" or "wisdom."

Kalonda holds a degree in Database Administration from the Higher Institute of Computer Science, Programming and Analysis in the DRC (2016). Between 2017 and 2019, he worked as a sales administrator at Orange DRC.

Melchior Koba