Cape Flats e-hailing service Loop wins Pitching Den Award at Africa Tech Week
Cape Flats e-hailing service, Loop, scooped the prestigious Pitching Den Award at this year’s Sentech Africa Tech Week Conference held in Century City.
From June 3-4, Africa Tech Week is one of the continent's largest gatherings of technology leaders, innovators, and industry experts, dedicated to showcasing groundbreaking technological solutions driving Africa's growth.
Loop was established in 2022 by its CEO Imtiyaaz Riley from Manenberg and co-founder Jamie Wyngaard from Montana, giving commuters the convenience to book Loop via Whatsapp and make instant payments with no bank charges.
Riley impressed the judging panel with the company’s bold approach to digital payments and mobility in emerging markets.
He explained how Loop’s chat-based system allows users to pay directly through WhatsApp.
The technology enables instant, no-cost transactions all without the need to download any additional apps or the need for a point of sale device.
Riley says: “Our win at Africa Tech Week is more than a trophy, it's a signal that Africa is ready for real, homegrown innovation. Loop was built in the heart of Cape Town to solve challenges we’ve lived through. We’re not just digitising payments, we’re rewriting how value moves in communities that have long been excluded. This recognition strengthens our resolve to scale meaningful tech across the continent, unlocking opportunity where it’s needed most.”
Loop has also scooped multiple awards including Social Enterprise of the Year and has been recognised as the Best Mobility and Logistics for Southern Africa.
Under Wyngaard and Riley’s leadership, Loop has reached a valuation of over R187 million in just two years, delivering cutting-edge payment technologies such as Chat-to-Pay, Tap-to-Pay, and the upcoming Pay with Palm system.
Beyond Loop, Wyngaard’s impact spans powerful initiatives like Feenix.org, which has raised over R204 million to support student education, and Socialhack.co.za, an impact investment firm backing SME growth.
Cape Argus