2014 saw the number of mobile users reach 1,8 billion globally, for the first time beating the 1,7 billion global desktop users, according to research by Morgan Stanley. The market for mobile apps has never been more lucrative. Just this year, the four-year-old Uber, the mobile tax app, and voted one of Time’s 50 best iPhone apps, reached $10 billion in gross revenue.
South African innovators have also showed a keen interest in app development, including entrepreneur and small business focused apps which help with business functions like marketing, finances and networking. This is our top three favourite of this year.
Marketing – Hedzup Messenger
The Bsavi fintech app set out this year to change how entrepreneurs manage their spending. Bsavi is a spend management tool which allows users to track how much they spend daily, as well as how much they should be spending after accounting for all planned and fixed expenses.
Networking – Mapped in Cape Town
This new website application, Mapped in Cape Town, provides a database of startups, local small businesses and service providers on the platform, allowing them to discover each other. The aim is to enable startups to make connections and grow the ecosystem in Cape Town, which also happens to be the country’s startup destination. The are plans to expand the service to the rest of the country.
