South African startup Loop claims it is digitising mobility and payments for emerging markets by offering an integrated platform that enables safe, shared rides and digital payments.
Founded in 2021 by Imtiyaaz Riley and Jamie Wyngaard, Loop allows users, whether commuters or companies, to book safe and reliable transport via WhatsApp, using solutions like Chat-to-Pay and Tap-to-Pay, tailored for informal economies and cash-reliant communities.
The startup’s automation manages route planning, trip grouping, and driver assignment. Businesses use Loop’s dashboard to coordinate employee transport, while drivers receive trips, routes, and payments seamlessly.
“These services are integrated into daily informal economy use cases like transport, spaza shops, and vendor sales, making digital payments accessible without apps or bank accounts,” Riley said.
“In a nutshell, the platform brings real-time logistics, financial inclusion, and operational efficiency to markets still heavily reliant on cash and manual coordination.”
Riley said the startup had identified a “massive gap” in the informal transport and payment space, where millions of commuters rely on cash-based transactions and fragmented mobility services.
“Existing platforms often ignore township economies or fail to tailor solutions for low-income, low-tech users. Our biggest competitor is cash, followed by legacy mobility solutions and traditional ride-hailing apps,” he said.
Loop is funded by a combination of equity and grants, including backing from the SAB Foundation, Visa, RLabs, Five35 Ventures, and several angel investors. It was also recently awarded Best Seed Startup at AfricArena 2025 and won the National Presidential MSME Award in 2024.
Uptake has been strong.
“We serve over 30,000 WhatsApp users, 500 drivers, and facilitate over 15,000 rides monthly. Our payments platform is expanding with small businesses and informal merchants, and we’ve started onboarding vendors in spaza shops and events,” Riley said.
Currently, Loop operates in Cape Town and is expanding into Johannesburg.
“We aim to grow across South Africa and later into other African cities with similar urban mobility and financial inclusion challenges,” Riley said.
The startup’s business model is hybrid – B2B and B2C.
“We earn revenue from ride fares and payment transaction fees. In 2024, we generated over US$1.3 million in revenue,” said Riley.
“Like most startups, we’ve faced challenges. These include resistance from traditional transport players, technical complexity in scaling low-data solutions, and the funding winter. However, our ability to stay lean, mission-driven, and close to our users has helped us navigate these obstacles.”
