App development is on the rise, with many innovative apps developed in South Africa with a focus on solving a problem or providing for a specific local need.
These applications are going a long way to helping people in the country with a variety of issues from the more important questions around education, finances and employment, to simpler matters including uncomplicated mall parking.
Here are 12 mobile apps that are solving South African problems.
Sources: SMESouthAfrica, AppOfTheYear, BDLive, CarteBlanche, ENCAMoneyline, ITNewsAfrica, TechReport.
This on demand tutoring platform allows students who require tutoring on a certain subject to connect with experienced tutors, allowing the students to receive study support while creating jobs for the tutors.
This revolutionary app provides users with access to specialist ophthalmologists, which is incredibly useful with regards to rural areas where specialists are not often available. By uploading images and information via the app, the user receives feedback from specialists. The app has expanded to seven other medical specialities, after testing on the eyes.
The home cleaning app connects people with trusted cleaners in order to help those with busy lives to keep a clean home or office. The app currently serves users in Cape Town and Johannesburg, and recently won the Best Consumer App and Overall Business App accolades at the MTN Business App of the Year awards.
The free app creates a platform for people and businesses to find trustworthy and reliable low-skilled labour for odd jobs. Jobs are posted on iSpani, with those doing the job sending photos in order to release payment, which can be redeemed through Standard Bank and Spar stores.
The hearZA app provides a clinically validated hearing test in under three minutes. If a problem is detected, which is verified by the University of Pretoria, a person can be linked to their closest hearing health provider based on geolocation.
This app is one that is installed and forgotten about, until it saves a life. Using smart drive-detection technology the app auto-detects serious car crashes and alerts the CrashDetech emergency contact centre of the phone’s location, allowing it to dispatch the nearest emergency medical services with the individual’s specific medical information.
The app allows consumers to make payments directly into a store’s bank account within three clicks, via an electronic funds transfer mechanism that is user friendly, allowing those without a credit card to make payments to merchants in store or online.
Another useful payment app, iKHOKHA allows small businesses to accept payments via debit and credit cards by turning a phone with the app installed into a mobile point of sale terminal that can process these payments.
Digitally connected South Africans can use the MiBRAND app to see the stores and specials in their specific areas or near their location, giving consumers a better experience when they are out shopping or looking for discounted products and services.
A stockfell is an informal method of saving in which members of a group contribute money to a common pool weekly or monthly, with the funds used for the needs of the individual or group. Stockfella provides a digital platform to manage a very traditional South African method of saving.
Admyt is a new South African app that allows for ticketless parking at malls and places that typically require a parking ticket. Boom gates recognise number plates and open automatically, making parking at shopping centres automatic and hassle free.
We all get hungry, but busy lives make it difficult to cook healthy meals all the time. The Wazupa app creates a platform that allows anyone to order a meal from a home chef who lives close to them while paying for it via the app.