How CIOVITA accelerated expansion: 6 currency accounts opened in 5 minutes

Freddie Enslin

Co-founder, CIOVITA

“Managing global operations meant dealing with unpredictable currency swings, fragmented banking relationships, and painfully manual processes. At times, we could lose up to 10% overnight just moving money. With Airwallex, we gained instant visibility and control across our markets. We now focus more on community and product, and less on admin.”

Introducing CIOVITA

CIOVITA was born from a passion for cycling. Since 2015, the company has grown from its South African roots into a global brand that handles everything from design and manufacturing to distribution and events. Now headquartered in the Netherlands, their team of over 250 people is dedicated to creating world-class gear.

But this unique, hands-on approach created complexity. Managing operations across the Netherlands, Australia, South Africa, and the US brought frustrating financial challenges, especially as the brand’s global community grew faster than their old bank could handle. Turning to Airwallex was a pivotal step, allowing CIOVITA to focus less on financial admin and more on serving cyclists worldwide.

The challenge

As CIOVITA scaled, the limitations of traditional banking became a daily headache. Operating across continents meant facing constant obstacles: Volatile currency swings – especially for ZAR – could change cost structures overnight, and paying their own teams in different countries was a slow, tangled process. Simple tasks felt incredibly complex.

Their previous provider couldn't keep up. 

For CIOVITA's team, trying to get new cards or integrate modern payment tools was a recipe for frustration and missed deadlines. This manual work and unpredictability drained energy from their core mission of innovation and community-building.

The Airwallex solution

After discovering Airwallex, the change for CIOVITA was immediate. Airwallex brought structure and speed to CIOVITA’s global financial operations “overnight”, with instant access to global financial infrastructure, and a faster path for global payments. “Within five minutes, six accounts were ready. A week later, we had five cards,” says Freddie.

CIOVITA could start paying like a local – receiving funds and paying suppliers in major currencies including EUR, CHF, GBP, USD, and AUD – avoiding costly, forced conversions while bringing predictability to cash flow.

As they leaned in, the team saw new ways to streamline a complex supply chain. They could now send payment links to wholesalers and enable smaller retailers to purchase stock by card or their preferred method, which helped ensure timely settlement and improved cash flow.

Day-to-day spend management became simpler, too; virtual cards were issued in real time, supporting a global team on the move. Or as Freddie recalls: “A team member went to the US on a business trip. We issued the virtual card while he was on the flight!” 

Finally, smarter integrations sealed the operational gains – direct connections to Shopify and Xero automated the painful manual work of handling differing VAT rates across European markets.

Freddie Enslin

Co-founder, CIOVITA

“Before Airwallex, scaling internationally was limited by banking complexity. The moment we moved, everything changed. We set up multiple accounts in minutes and issued cards to our travelling team members right away. With seamless integrations into Shopify and Xero, Airwallex gave us structure and speed overnight. It lets us stay nimble, focus on what we do best, and scale with confidence.”

The result

CIOVITA has seen a tangible impact across the business following the switch to Airwallex:

• Time savings: The team reports significant time savings, as the administrative burden of supplier payments, payroll, and expense management has been drastically reduced. On card issuance alone to travelling staff, Ciovita has saved more than 30 hours in administration (over four months) and weeks of waiting time.

• Combatting currency volatility: The ability to hold and pay in local currencies has also provided a crucial buffer against currency volatility (particularly ZAR), making financial planning more reliable.

• Improved cash flow efficiency: By simplifying payments with new suppliers and clients, cash flow has become faster and more predictable, freeing up capital and energy for growth projects. 

• Automated integrations: have reduced errors and made compliance more manageable as they expand into new European markets.

Looking ahead

This isn’t just a story about efficiency, it’s a story about scaling with purpose. CIOVITA and Airwallex share a commitment to innovation and connection, enabling growth without borders. The freedom and momentum that define their cycling community now extend to the business itself.

Ready to start your own journey? Open an Airwallex account today. To celebrate our partnership, we’re offering an exclusive 25% discount on your next CIOVITA order.

Use code: #CIOVITA+AIRWALLEX at checkout.