CovidCheckUp
SA Fintech entrepreneurs Wayne Zwiers and Pramod Mohanlal have developed a data-driven Cobid-19 screening and risk assessment application, CovidCheckUp, which uses algorithms and data from international peer-reviewed scientific journals to provide personalised assessments according to probability-based calculations.
They argue that, with South Africa in its second wave of infections, there is a need for a more reliable and accessible risk screening tool. “There are so many Covid-19 screening apps, but many don’t take into account the risk of the comorbidities in an individual, nor do they provide a quantitative risk assessment for a workforce,” says Mohanlal.
A comorbidity is the presence of one or more additional conditions, often co-occurring with a primary condition – and in the case of Covid-19, the presence of comorbidities can complicate or nullify screening and assessments that don’t take them into account.
The app can help employers plan safe return to office environments by understanding who is at risk – and therefore who will be better served by working from home until individual risk levels improve.
The application offers a user-friendly interface and takes less than five minutes for an assessment. The data can then be sent to employers, along with reports as part of workplace planning and HR strategies.
Platform: Any device with an up-to-date Internet browser
Expect to pay: A free service
Stockists: Visit covidcheckup.co.za here to complete an assessment.
Read more on the next page about Telkom Pay digital wallet, Nedbank’s USSD Home Loan calculator, an app that helps service providers go digital, and DStv’s new meme-only app.
Telkom’s Pay Digital Wallet
Telkom’s Pay Digital Wallet, or Telkom Pay for short, allows users to pay people on their WhatsApp contact list, or get paid themselves, using their mobile phone. It also serves as a cashless Point of Sale (POS) payment option for businesses.
Users add Telkom Pay on WhatsApp, register, and can then send and/or receive money by sending a “Please pay me”.
Telkom Pay also allows customers to buy airtime, data and electricity. For those reluctant to carry cash on them, the wallet allows for payments by scanning and paying for goods with QR codes. To transact on Telkom Pay users must top up their wallets via EFT, Nedbank ATMs or at any Pick ‘n Pay stores.
One does not have to be a Telkom customer to access the platform.
Platform: Most new smartphones with WhatsApp
Stockists: To register, customers need to save the Telkom Pay’s number +27 68 483 5566 as a contact (Telkom Pay) on their phone and start a chat on WhatsApp by typing Hi.
Expect to pay: For fees visit the Telkom Digital Pay Wallet here.
Read more on the next page about Nedbank’s USSD Home Loan calculator, an app that helps service providers go digital, and DStv’s new meme-only app.
Nedbank USSD Home Loan calculator
Nedbank’s recently launched USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) Home Loan affordability calculator attempts to help consumers in the entry level market understand what is needed to own property.
According to a study conducted on consumers in low-income groups, most respondents didn’t believe that owning a home was within their reach – because they are either inadequately informed, or uncomfortable using mobile apps, where affordability tools usually reside.
The USSD Home Loan calculator uses mobile text code strings, like those used for loading prepaid data, airtime or electricity.
To access the mobile affordability calculator, users dial *120*001*123# and wait for prompts. The applicants are asked some questions, including monthly income and expenses. In response they receive an indication of the maximum amount they qualify for and can afford, based on the correctness of the information provided.
As they enter their details, they also have the option to speak to a consultant, who will take them through the entire process, from saving for costs and getting a full pre-approval, to applying and securing a home loan.
Platform: Cellular, feature and smartphones
Expect to pay: A free service
Stockists: Dial *120*001*123#
Read more on the next page about an app that helps service providers go digital, and DStv’s new meme-only app.
iTorho
The iTorho platform promises to connect communities to skilled service providers in their immediate location, while also enabling business owners to adopt more efficient business management and customer relationship tools.
“Approximately only 20% of small business owners use e-commerce in their businesses on a regular basis. But the Covid-19 pandemic has made it clear that it’s now a case of either adapt or die,” says Njabulo Khulu, founder and developer of iTorho.
iTorho is a free platform that enables small business owners to list their offerings, manage bookings and client information, as well as receive payments. They can also share their iTorho link to their social media pages for marketing purposes. The platform is also said to use Artificial Intelligence to identify revenue-generating opportunities.
Currently, iTorho offers the services of hundreds of businesses around the country across 27 categories, ranging from catering and cleaning, to fitness and finance.
Platform: Any device with an up to date platform
Expect to pay: A free service
Stockists: Visit iTorho here to sign up as with a buyer or a seller.
Read more on the next page about DStv’s new meme-only app.
AmaMeme
DStv has launched a meme-only app called AmaMeme. In its first week of going live, AmaMeme created, sourced and uploaded just under 1,000 GIFs, with the number growing every week.
The memes are created by taking snippets from television shows currently available on DStv. They are then categorised and uploaded. Users can then search for them according to an emotion they want to convey and copy and paste them into their social media posts.
AmaMeme needed to keep South Africans’ coming back for more, which meant the creation of memes that appeal to the humour of all ages. According to DStv, talks are in progress to take content from Showmax, with additional content partners being signed up.
To use AmaMeme, search for a reaction, copy the meme and paste it into any messaging or social platform.
Platform: Any device with an up-to-date internet browser
Expect to pay: A free service
Stockists: Visit AmaMeme here to start searching