Episode 53 is sponsored by The 2025 BigFive Summit Sponsors
We want to extend our thanks to the amazing group of companies that supported the 2025 BigFive Summit in Cape Town.
B5DS25 supporters include Premium Sponsor Absa Group, as well as Dialog, NSPYRE, Networds, AfriGIS, and Pragmattica Digital Consulting. Thanks also to Vendasta and Telkom for their support and to Realm Digital for its ticket giveaway.
Please stay tuned for announcements regarding future BigFive Digital initiatives, including the 2026 BigFive Summit in Cape Town.
Welcome to Episode 53 of the BIG5D Podcast, a production of BigFive Digital and the Africa B2B Tech Report. This is the first in a series of BIG5D Podcast episodes derived from on-stage conversations at the 2025 BigFive Summit, which took place 5-7 May at Innovation City Cape Town.
The first of these episodes features an interview BigFive Digital Chairman Thabo Seopa conducted on-stage with Jamie Wyngaard, the Co-founder of Cape Town fintech startup Loop.
Loop is an award-winning mobility fintech launched in 2021 that originally set out to help minibus drivers accept non-cash payments.
Jamie says he and co-founder Imtiyaz Riley soon realized its uses went well beyond helping taxi drivers collect small fares digitally, which remains its main business. Loop discovered, for example, that the solution can also be used for remittances.
“You don’t even have to be in the same taxi when sending money,” Jamie explained. “We realized this service could be used for remittance. You can be in another country and send someone money via WhatsApp.”
WhatsApp is central to Loop’s model.
The key insight on building on WhatsApp vs creating a native app is the installed base of WhatsApp users among Loop’s target market (family breadwinners who commute via minibus) is extremely high. Meanwhile, the willingness to install a new app is extremely low, owing to high data costs, limited screen real estate, etc.
The notion of using something that is already on everyone's phone rather than requiring an app download is an approach well-suited to emerging markets.
And we are seeing it in other startups as well.
For one example, check out our interview with Jem Co-founder Simon Ellis.
From its origins in digital payments for drivers — a solution Jamie said “had to be as quick as cash” — the company is looking to expand into becoming a digital payments resource for consumers and businesses across emerging markets.
Loop is working closely with the banking giant ABSA Group {the lead sponsor of the BIGFive Summit] on its expansion plans. Jamie was invited by ABSA to appear at the Summit.
Clip 1: Applying Design Thinking to a Problem
Episode 53 Time Stamps
Here are time markers for some of the highlights of our conversation with Jamie. We encourage you to listen to the full podcast (or watch it on YouTube). However, if you prefer to skip around, these highlights offer a good sense of what Jamie had to say about why he helped found Loop and where he wants to take the company.
Loop and Its Origins {2:10}
Applying ‘Design Thinking’ to the Problems of Minibus Drivers {2:54}
‘Our Competition is Cash’ {5:46}
Adding Corporate Staff Transport {6:20}
‘We’ve Opened Up the Network’ {7:40}
Partnering with Visa and ABSA {8:03}
Value-Added Services Over Service Fees {8:49}
Also Useful for Remittance {9:05}
Why WhatsApp? {9:35}
Current Operating Markets {10:20}
40 Under 40 Award {10:35}
Key to Success: Understand Your Customers {12:00}
What’s Next for Loop? {12:40}
Would you prefer to watch our interview with Jamie on our YouTube channel? Here it is.
Sponsored Message
Thank you Local Knowledge for supporting the BIG5D Podcast.
Recommended Reading
The following is an aggregation and curation of relevant news and analysis from around Africa, the Middle East, and the world related to B2B tech, digital marketing, small business, startup life, venture funding, M&A, and more.
Twiga Foods Suspends Nairobi Operations, Eyes New Dist. Hub
Latam Fintech dLocal to Acquire ANA Finance (formerly BitPesa)
Egyptian Startups Raise $228 Million in First 5 Months of 2025
African Fintech Interswitch Expands into Nigerian Proptech
TikTok for Artists Rollout Skips Sub-Saharan Africa
Why Do Successful African Creators Struggle to Earn on YouTube?
SA Tax Authorities Target Shein and Temu to Fill VAT Coffers
Applications Open for Llama Accelerator for African AI Startups
SAP Report: AI to Add $1.5 Trillion to African Economy by 2030
About the BIG5D Podcast
The BIG5D Podcast is a weekly podcast featuring in-depth conversations about tech and business in Africa with the leaders who are building, investing in, or taking to market the digital products and services designed to make the continent’s businesses more successful.
This podcast is a BigFive Digital and Africa B2B Tech Report production. The pod is hosted by me {BigFive Digital Co-founder Charles Laughlin}. I’m an independent journalist and event moderator with decades of experience covering B2B technology. Our ambition is simple. By any measure, we want this to be the No. 1 podcast about tech and business in Africa.
The BIG5D Podcast is available here on Substack as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen. Please follow, comment, rate, and review the BIG5D Podcast. Your engagement helps others discover us so they can learn more from the amazing builders and thought leaders we feature on the show.
Want to recommend a guest or learn how to sponsor an upcoming episode?
Reach out to us at info@bigfivedigital.org.
Share this post