The saying goes that the simplest solution is often the best. A new, innovative and proudly South African app took this sentiment to heart, and it now promises to bring innovation to one of the biggest industries in the country.
Khwela is an app that commuters who take taxis to come and go can use to find the three nearest taxi ranks in their vicinity. While the idea seems like a no-brainer, there has never been a way for commuters to quickly and easily find the nearest taxi rank, other than relying on the advice of strangers.
Digital innovation for a decades-old industry
Skhona Khumalo, the 28-year-old digital innovator behind Khwela, says that the app was developed to reinvent an industry that has not seen change since its inception in the early 1990s. Khumalo hails the development of the app as a nod to an industry that has contributed in getting him and the three other young people on his team to where they are today – in more ways than one.
The Khwela app will not only point users to the nearest taxi ranks, it will also provide a 24-hour platform that commuters can use to air any grievances they might have to the National Taxi Alliance, and to communicate and share other information, like the latest fare prices, with other commuters. Users will also have the option to hail a taxi from where they are and to report emergencies.
The National Taxi Alliance has welcomed Khwela’s introduction.
Khwela was launched at the Bree Street taxi rank in Johannesburg on 24 April, and the official Gauteng launch is set to take place at the end of May 2018, so remember to keep an eye on your app store of choice and on Smartcom’s blog to see when it will be available for download.