In Africa, the mobile phone plays a crucial role. Not only do Africans use their device’s to call, send text messages, or connect to the internet… but they also use their device’s to access mobile money services as well as locate healthcare facilities.
IT News Africa has compiled a list of the top mobile apps made in Africa, over the past few years. These apps have developed in Africa, by Africans and are either available of Android or iOS devices.
Find-A-Med
Find-A-Med is a location based mobile application that allows users to find the closest health center. Additionally, the app also stores your basic health information in case of an emergency. The app aims to make all healthcare facilities across Nigeria accessible and searchable from a mobile device.
Download on: Android devices
Download on: Apple devices
PesaCalc
PesaCalc, released by Kenyan mobile app developers Mobile Matrix, is a free Android app that, according to the developers, streamlines the use of mobile money services in the country, drawing contacts from both phonebook and SIM card.
The developers revealed that the app is compatible with all three of Kenya’s mobile money services. To add to this, the app allows users to prepare the right amount of cash to send, including fees, both to registered and unregistered users.
Download on: Android Devices
SnapnSave
SnapnSave is a shopping app that gives you cash back on your everyday grocery purchases wherever you shop in-store. The app was recently unveiled in Cape Town, South Africa.
SnapnSave has been developed with the support of TAT Ventures, an overseas-based investment house that backs start-up tech ideas that provide African solutions to African problems.
“Globally, we are seeing more and more mobile technology being developed and used to enable consumers to make smarter purchase decisions,” said SnapnSave CEO Mark Bradshaw.
Download on: SnapnSave
Wumdrop
Wumdrop is a South African made app, which allows for deliveries and pickups of packages. A user able to request a courier, track them on a map and receive notifications of delivery, all for R12 per kilometre.
Download on: Wumdrop
Slimtrader
Slimtrader allows users to perform e-commerce transactions such as buying or paying for goods and services via SMS or WAP, effectively shopping by text messages. The app was claimed to be the first platform in Africa to do so. The app was founded in 2009, and operates in Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.
Download on: Android Devices
M-Farm
Winner of won the IPO48 competition, M-Farm was launched in June 2012 and is primarily aimed at Kenyan farmers who can get up-to-date information on crop prices and farming-related matters. The SMS-based service, which has won many accolades and received Samsung backing, allows users are also able to request prices from five major towns in Kenya.
Download on: Android Devices
Voicemap
Explore Cape Town and other locations at your own pace with VoiceMap’s walking tour app. It has offline maps, GPS autoplay and a fast growing catalogue of audio tours by bestselling authors, expert correspondents, veteran broadcasters, passionate locals, and many others.
Download on: Android Devices
Download on: Apple Devices
Kids First Aid
As Africa is a connected continent, first aid tips are at the tap of an app. The Kids First Aid app gives emergency information to parents and teachers when they need it- an indispensable app for when you are travelling in a place where perhaps you don’t speak the language or when help is not easily reachable. The app was built in South Africa and won the 2013 MTN Business App award for best windows app.
Download on: Apple Devices
Suba
The Suba app was developed in Ghana and is a location-based, group photo album app, which allows for the creation of a group photo stream. Once the stream is created, individuals can add pictures and invite others to do so.
Download on: Android Devices
Download on: Apple Devices
Safari Tales
Released in Kenya, Safari Tales aims to eliminate the shortage of books in Kenya. According to the developers, the app is available in different languages and is interactive. Overall, the app offers African stories, that may not be so easily found within countries that lack various educational books for children.
Download on: Android Devices
Darryl Linington
