Open to opportunities

Yoweli Kachala

@yowelikachala

Senior Backend Engineer & Systems Architect who scales high-performance transactional systems and rescues failing services.

South Africa

Message

What I'm looking for

I’m looking to own backend architecture end-to-end—high-performance, scalable, transactional systems—where I can improve reliability, reduce latency, and deliver measurable impact by rescuing and scaling production platforms.

I’m a Senior Backend Engineer & Systems Architect with 15+ years designing and delivering high-performance, scalable, transactional systems across Fintech, HealthTech, Government, and global SaaS. I’m known for rescuing failing systems, scaling high-throughput platforms, and building production-grade services independently.

My work focuses on architectural recovery and dependable execution: multi-tenant systems, subscription billing, payment systems, and performance optimisation. I’ve reduced processing latency 88% (3 hours to <20 mins), improved deployment stability 70% through CI/CD optimisation, and scaled platforms to 10k+ concurrent users and high-volume transactions.

I enjoy owning end-to-end backend outcomes—from designing REST APIs and event-driven systems to implementing secure data synchronisation pipelines and robust background job processing. In each role, I’ve strengthened transactional consistency (100% in financial workflows), delivered integrations across operational and financial systems, and created reusable architectural blueprints to accelerate future delivery.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Senior Software Engineer

RoomRaccoon

Apr 2024 - Sep 2025 (1 year 5 months)

Designed multi-tenant backend services with strict data isolation and high availability. Rescued 3 stalled module developments and completed resolution within 1 year.

PHP REST APIs Distributed Systems High Availability Performance Optimization CI CD AWS

Senior Backend Engineer

Emedis

Sep 2022 - Aug 2023 (11 months)

Built high-performance backend for enterprise logistics, inventory, and financial workflows. Delivered seamless integrations across operational and financial systems with 100% data consistency.

Python REST APIs Integration Architecture Distributed Systems CI CD AWS PostgreSQL

Senior Backend Developer

FlexClub

Sep 2021 - Aug 2022 (11 months)

Architected subscription and recurring billing systems supporting high-volume financial operations. Ensured 100% transactional consistency and standardized CI/CD pipelines to improve release speed and production stability.

PHP Subscription Billing CI CD Docker REST APIs MySQL Redis

Senior Open Source Backend Engineer

City of Cape Town

May 2020 - Jul 2021 (1 year 2 months)

Designed backend for national pharmacy and healthcare systems. Built secure, compliant data synchronization pipelines with a focus on high data integrity and regulatory compliance.

PHP Compliance Engineering Data Pipelines REST APIs PostgreSQL CI CD Linux Performance Optimization

Senior PHP Developer

1-Grid

Dec 2019 - May 2020 (5 months)

Extended WHMCS billing with custom modules to automate financial workflows. Integrated secure payment gateways with compliance and reliability to reduce billing errors and operational overhead.

PHP WHMCS Payment Gateways & Compliance REST APIs Background Jobs MySQL CI CD Reliability Engineering

Backend & Frontend Engineer

GoMetro

Feb 2019 - Nov 2019 (9 months)

Architected real-time vehicle tracking and fleet backend services. Overhauled CI/CD pipelines, reducing deployment failures by 70%.

JavaScript Real Time Systems WebSockets CI CD Docker Linux REST APIs Performance Optimization

Senior Enterprise Systems Developer

Double Eye

Jan 2016 - Feb 2019 (3 years 1 month)

Delivered 7+ enterprise-scale backend systems across telecom and public sectors, including UK NHS. Led architecture for high-compliance systems for tier-1 clients such as Samsung, MTN, and Cell C.

PHP Distributed Systems Compliance Architecture CI CD AWS PostgreSQL Security Best Practices High Availability

Lead Developer & Systems Architect

SchoolAlert

Mar 2012 - Dec 2015 (3 years 9 months)

Re-architected a high-throughput messaging platform, reducing latency by 88%. Automated failure handling to cut operational costs by 25%.

PHP Systems Architecture High Throughput Messaging Performance Optimization CI CD Reliability Engineering Linux REST APIs

Backend & Systems Engineering

Government of Malawi

Jan 2006 - Feb 2012 (6 years 1 month)

Rescued a stalled tender processing system (5-year delay) and produced a functional MVP in less than 12 months. Designed and deployed national-scale payroll, HR, and B2B platforms for the Government of Malawi.

PHP Government Systems Data Integrity REST APIs CI CD Database Design