Mobile money for jam

A new microjobbing service called M4JAM has been released, and it is designed to allow smartphone users earn money by completing small jobs on their devices.

A new mobile microjobbing service is set to give businesses, NGOs and government organisations a new way to crowdsource information from the South African public. At the same time the service allows anyone with a smart phone to earn ‚Äòeasy’ money by completing a job that takes no longer than ten minutes.

The new service, M4JAM (Money for Jam) launches on 11 August 2014 on mobile social communications platform, WeChat. Founded by business veterans Andre Hugo as CEO and Warren Venter as COO, M4JAM enables businesses to outsource ‚Äòmicro jobs’ to registered jobbers, and pay them for their work via the platform.

Hugo says the concept is simple: “M4JAM breaks large projects into small tasks, empowering many geographically dispersed people to quickly and independently complete the tasks using their phones in exchange for payment.

The value proposition includes completing tasks at a significantly lower cost than outsourcing to a traditional supplier, as well as directly accessing a unique and positive channel for continuous engagement with customers in real time,” says Hugo.

The service will appeal to the majority of South Africans – ranging from those who want to make enough money to buy extra airtime, to those who really need to earn money to make ends meet. The only requirement is a smartphone, and up to 10 minutes of your time to complete the job.

Jobs include taking a photo of a restaurant entrance to confirm the name of the business at a specific location, speed limit and road name confirmation for mapping business’ and government: merchandising display checks and stock control for retailers: or surveys completed via a mobile phone to gather insights or refine product innovation. The client simply confirms a batch of micro jobs and funds the project, and M4JAM posts these jobs on their behalf. After completion, M4JAM sends the finished work package to the business.

In light of South Africa’s high unemployment rate, rising inflation, and the difficulty many South Africans face in sustaining themselves, M4JAM has the potential to make a positive impact on many lives. Smartphone penetration is on the increase as prices for devices decline, and Hugo notes, “it’s only a matter of time until everybody can afford a smartphone, and earn money off the platform.

The WeChat format also lends itself to gamification elements, referrals and the sharing of additional rewards and discounts,” adds Hugo, allowing for innovation and customisation in the model by various businesses.

We’re excited about our partnership with M4JAM because we’re now one step closer to realising WeChat’s potential in South Africa- to become a central point of contact for people’s lives, both online and offline”, says Brett Loubser, Head of WeChat Africa. “Besides connecting with friends, people are listening to online radio, engaging with their favourite TV shows and getting great deals through WeChat – and now they’ll be using it to earn cold, hard cash”.

To find out more about how your business can use M4JAM, visit www.m4jam.com. To see how it works or simply download the WeChat app on your smartphone, and search for the M4JAM Official Account – WeChat ID: Money4Jam.

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