Loop: The Cape Flats startup making waves in Google’s accelerator
Loop, founded by Manenberg entrepreneur Imtiyaaz Riley, has been named in the 2026 cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator: Africa.
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A Cape Flats-founded mobility and payments technology company has been selected for a continental startup programme, marking a milestone for a platform built around the minibus taxi sector.
Loop, founded by Manenberg entrepreneur Imtiyaaz Riley, has been named in the 2026 cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator: Africa.
The company is one of 15 startups selected from nearly 2 600 applicants across the continent. The programme focuses on startups developing artificial intelligence-driven solutions in areas including fintech, mobility and digital infrastructure. Since its launch in 2018, the accelerator has supported more than 100 startups across 17 African countries, with alumni collectively raising over $263 million and creating thousands of jobs.
The selection follows recent recognition for the Cape Town-based startup. Loop won the Pitching Den Award at Africa Tech Week in Cape Town, where its WhatsApp-based payment system formed part of its mobility offering. The company launched in 2022 and has reported a valuation of over R187 million.
Riley said the selection reflects the communities the platform was built with.
“This is bigger than Loop. We started this journey on the Cape Flats, building with communities who are often overlooked by traditional systems. Being selected by Google shows that globally relevant innovation can come from anywhere,” he said.
Loop’s early development included engagements with Western Cape government leadership, including Premier Alan Winde and mobility officials, around how the service could operate within the minibus taxi sector.
Founded by Cape Flats entrepreneurs with links to the taxi industry, the platform was designed to work with existing transport systems. It allows users to access transport services and make digital payments through a mobile-based interface.
“Our mission has always been clear, to digitise emerging economies in Africa and create systems that work for the people who need them most,” Riley said.
Loop is expanding its operations across Africa as part of its next phase of growth.