APPLICATION
development in Africa got a major boost when Vodafone held its inaugural Middle
East and Africa AppStar contest in Midrand this week. According to Pratapa
Bernard, vice-president and head of Vodafone solutions for emerging markets,
apps present huge opportunities for business and investment."There is demand for applications in our market and that demand is because, in emerging markets, be it in Asia or Africa, there is an information asymmetry.
"Consumers have a latent demand to know what is going on around them and part of the problem for delivery of apps was that, unlike in Europe and North America, content was not available locally.
"That's why you need someone who understands the local context and culture. People in Europe who have the proficiency in developing the apps don't necessarily have that and their understanding of Africa does not exist," said Bernard.
The AppStar competition saw about 3600 developer registrations and more than 500 apps were considered.
Bernard was pleased that many apps were aimed at solving problems for people and communities in areas such as agriculture, transport and education.
"More than half of the apps entered, by design, were local apps and many were from first-hand experience," said Bernard. Bilal Kathrada, one of the South African finalists, entered a mathematics app.
Named Rithmetic, it is aimed at primary school pupils and provides maths worksheets and monitors progress. South Africa's poor maths school results and the fact that many pupils do not grasp the basics inspired him.
Mahmoud Hassan from Egypt's EgySmartTrans came up with a transport app that helps users locate the closest metro rail station and to decide which bus route they need. He said he was inspired by the five million people in Egypt who use public transport and his app helped them plan their trips efficiently.
Tanzania's Ernest Mwalusanya came up with a farming instructor app, which uses text, animation and sounds to convey information to farmers about weather patterns and best practice. The app can also connect farmers to each other so they can share experiences.
Kenya ca me out tops in the contest, occupying the top two spots, with a South African developer in third position. The winning app was Tough Jungle, developed by Gerald Kibugi. It is an action-adventure game that introduces Kenya's culture and history and promotes it as a tourist destination. Kibugi was inspired by the already booming tourism industry in the country.
Gilbert Rono, also from Kenya, entered a maths app called Eureka, which solves complicated problems. Rudolph Joubert, the man behind Ster-Kinekor's movie mobile app, won the third prize. Monetising applications has been a huge problem for many developers. Bernard suggested that more collaboration is needed for app developers to grow.
"One of the things that has been universal is that you will find people who know how to write code and who come up with fantastic application concepts, but they don't have the marketing and business skills.
"And then there are people who can spot business opportunities, but don't know the technology.
"Developers need to be mentored through sector partnerships to monetise their ideas in a way that is relevant to the user. Monetisation is also possible through collaboration in the [application] ecosystem," said Bernard.
He said apps are likely to become big business in emerging economies.
"Unlike the developed market there is a huge information asymmetry and as a result mobile apps will be the dominant source of info for the community. Emerging economies are so diverse in terms of culture, people and language that every community will have its own variance," he said.
"In the long run, this will lead to entrepreneurship that can translate into job opportunities in these markets."
* This article was first published in Sunday Times: Business Times
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