New Uber-Style App Includes Panic Button To Alert Police When Needed

Is this new local app the answer to South Africa’s Uber vs taxi turfwar?
Photo: PA Images
Photo: PA Images
PA Archive/PA Images

A local version of Uber, which includes minibus shuttle services, and allows you to pay for your ride with airtime, will be ready by the end of the month, Dispatch Live reported.

East London-born entrepreneur Eugene Mfaka spent three years developing his Ntuza app, and says that by the end of August the app will be fully functional in 141 countries, on both Android and iOS operating systems, and will take the taxi industry into the future.

"Moving into this space seemed like the most natural progression from my shuttle service. I had to learn the hard way that people's expectations of a transport service had rapidly changed, and that everything was about being instant," Mfaka told Destiny magazine.

Innovative local adjustments to the standard Uber-style offering are also being included in the app's development. Mfaka plans to add a panic button to the app that customers can use to alert police, and affordable rates, which Mfaka expects will come in at R8/km. You will even be able to order groceries on the Ntuza app.

"I wanted to create a lifestyle platform that would cater to the broader needs of the customer, beyond just getting themselves to a location, but also getting things like food and groceries." Mfaka said.

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