P2P betting startup, Wayja goes live in South Africa

Wayja, a South Africa based peer-to-peer (P2P) betting platform that allows users to connect with friends and place informal bets on anything from anywhere, has gone live. With the launch, the startup is already looking to raise seed funding and fast-track international growth.

Founded in early 2020 by Reece Jacobsen and Clinton Holroyd, and made open to the public in June 2021, Wayja allows users to place simple one-on-one bets as well as to create pool bets, set custom odds, and more.

“The beauty of the platform is that there is no limit to what you can bet on, as long as you can find a willing opponent,” said Jacobsen.

“We understand that friendly competition between people is transcendent across society, which in turn drives countless amounts of informal bets being placed between friends, family and colleagues. Wayja provides a solution for anyone to record and settle bets in a fun, quick and cashless environment.”

Initially funded by the founders, Wayja raised a round of funding earlier in the year, aimed at expanding the platform beyond South Africa and building a native app.

“We’ve been really encouraged by the number of accounts opened and the user data is giving us some great feedback that is feeding the development team. We’re creating a slicker platform in real time alongside our early adopters and it’s been a really rewarding journey so far,” said Jacobsen.