AppDate: Expand to win

Expand cash game

Every night at 20:00 South African smartphone owners have the chance to win a share of R100,000 in cash and airtime with Expand, a free-to-play digital game on Nedbank’s Avo app. It asks players to identify a brand, a logo, a pack shot or a similar branded image, within 30 seconds. The players who correctly answer the quickest win their share of the cash.

“Expand is not only beneficial for game participants, it also provides a good consumer engagement platform, providing an opportunity for brands across South Africa to promote their products and services,” says Warren Bedil, CEO and co-founder of Expand.

If one has a Nedbank account, the winnings could be doubled. Those on the Avo app can also double their prizes.

To take part, register on www.expand.co.za.

Prizes are paid out via cellphone cardless withdrawals.

Platform: Android and iOS

Expect to pay: A free download.

Stockists: Visit Expanda here to start playing

Herbert Smith Freehills digital law courses

Herbert Smith Freehills has launched an online digital law course to give up to 1,000 students an inside look into how technology is transforming the role of lawyers.

The course, which requires no prior knowledge of technology or law, consists of three interactive one-hour sessions that shine a light on the future that lawyers can expect to play in a leading international law firm.

Attendees will hear from Herbert Smith Freehills’ digital lawyers about how emerging technologies like blockchain and artificial intelligence are impacting the legal advice they give and the way they work. The course covers news-topping technologies like cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV), and smart legal contracts.

Registration for the course is now open, with sessions taking place on Tuesday evenings on 2, 9 and 16 November. Students who attend the course also have the opportunity of winning a two-day work experience with Herbert Smith Freehills’ digital lawyers.

Platform: To register, click here.

Sun International’s Most Valued Guest app

In order to make bookings easier, Sun International has digitalised its booking system and introduced an app for communicating with those on its Most Valued Guest (MGV) programme.

When the group’s MVG loyalty programme was first launched in 1994, it was the second to be introduced in South Africa and the first to offer free membership. At the time the programme only applied to casino patrons, but in 2016 was expanded to include hospitality and leisure offerings.

MVGs can now use the app to get better rates and specials at Sun International hotels and leisure facilities, invitations to functions and events, offers to participate in promotions, and entry into competitions. They can also manage their loyalty points, and casino customers can view jackpots and see which slot machines have paid out.

Platform: Android and iOS

Expect to pay: A free download

Stockists: Visit the Sun International website here for more information.

Vive Teens

October is world mental health awareness month and the statistics around anxiety, loneliness, depression and other mental health issues are alarming. A personalised AI coach called Vive Teens is now available for youngsters struggling with these issues. 

The Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns have caused global disruptions and uncertainty, and these have exacerbated modern stress levels across South Africa. Job losses, growing financial pressures, and an uncertain future have taken their toll on mental health across the country.

The app uses an AI-driven personal wellness companion that equips users with content, advice, self-discovery, and human-led support systems to help cope with the challenges that they face every day.

The apps’ content include:

• AI-curated content relative to the user’s interests and context
• User centred exploration context that includes inspirational posts, podcasts, videos and news articles
• Targeted content around common psychological and social challenges
• Access to a network of registered human counsellors
• Personal companion chat, check-in and assessment

Platform: Android and iOS

Expect to pay: A free download

Stockists: Visit Vive Teens here for more information and for downloading instructions.

Tshwane My Smart City

Tshwane citizens can now assist their municipality to see service delivery issues resolved in their wards by logging issues through My Smart City’s citizen platform. 

The app allows residents to manage their own service delivery complaints, such as potholes and water and power outages, by logging and tracking service delivery issues.

The launch of My Smart City in Tshwane follows the successful launch of the platform in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

While My Smart City teams are not responsible for the execution of resolving service delivery issues directly, their dispatch and support teams escalate issues to service providers to have issues resolved.