Carte Blanche ran a feature this past Sunday (03/07/2016) about the rise and rise of mobile apps, with a particular focus on the South African market: its challenges, opportunities and some of the unique products that have been designed within our unique set of circumstances.
Some of the key take away points, for us, are:
- There is a huge potential market of smartphone users in South Africa but we are still in the infancy of penetration
- Revenues for cellphone companies is less about telephony and, increasingly, more about data usage. This places an emphasis on the promotion of app usage and, potentially, creates an environment where local developers have easier access to corporate funding.
- We have unique opportunities created by our unique social structure. The stokvel app featured in the clip is a good example of a South African solution to a South African circumstance.
To view the the feature, use this link: Planet of the Apps
We are also encouraged by the focus on this industry and the growth in it. We know that there is significant opportunity to create jobs, develop skills and create globally competitive products in South Africa at a really attractive price point. It is also a great leveler as successful development knows no race, age, gender or formal certification…it is largely dependent upon creativity, problem-solving ability, collaboration, and tenacity. Actual development or coding skill is, obviously, important but the barrier to acquiring these skills is relatively low as one can self learn a lot through various channels (examples include: Code Academy, YouTube, Books, eBooks) and, of course, hours and hours and hours of trial and error.
Come on South Africa, this is just the beginning, let celebrate local development and get behind an industry that can change our world for the better…
Cheers,
Jono
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