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 3-4 June.
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 Chief Executive Officer 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.
Imtiyaaz 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.
Imtiyaaz 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 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.”