Namola: South Africa’s leading safety app, providing immediate assistance with just a tap.
South Africa (22 March 2024) – In an ideal world, the need for a “panic button” app wouldn’t exist. But the reality is, in a country faced with numerous challenges, having quick access to emergency services is a necessity. Surprisingly, many South Africans don’t have such an app or even know how to reach emergency services in times of crisis.
There are few limitations when it comes to the advancements and applications offered on smart devices. An entire lifetime of data can be housed on a single smartphone, and access to a myriad of information is available at our fingertips. And yet, 68% of South Africans in a 2023 Women4Change safety survey admitted that they did not know how to contact emergency services or have a reliable contact for times of crisis.
In an emergency, knowing who to call can be the difference between life and death. But we’ve all been there: we’re in an accident, or we’ve witnessed something traumatic, and our adrenaline takes over. The freeze response kicks in, and everything seems to happen in slow motion. Logic goes out of the window. What do we do?
Often, we look to someone else to help us. To step in, take control and ultimately take care of us while our body processes what is going on.
Enter the safety app.
With the simple push of a button, South Africans can gain access to a host of immediate services with a comforting human voice on the other side of the phone.
Casi and Tracker CareGuard quickly dispatch armed-response services, Netstar Companion automatically alerts the nearest armed-response vehicles and sends a responder whether you answer a return call or not, and Namola provides access to the largest local database of public and private emergency services 24/7, promising to call you back in under 10 seconds.
Namola’s impactful stories have been featured in numerous articles over the years, showcasing instances where lives were saved, from rescuing a family from a burning house to ensuring timely hospital trips for a new mother. These narratives highlight the app’s invaluable role in South Africa’s safety landscape.
Considering that over half the South African population owns a smartphone, one would assume that having a panic app (or ‘Don’t Panic’ app as Namola prefers) would be an obvious choice, but this is not the case. Perhaps it is because we expect these services to be part of our insurance plan, or maybe we’ve grown up to be ‘resilient’ or think ‘it won’t happen to us’, or more solemnly, it may be because as a country we have lost faith in public services or believe we can’t afford it.
Safety applications can bridge the gap in allaying those fears, and Namola encourages everyone to download one. Find the one that works for you – it’s not about big business here, and there are even a few free versions. We live in an incredible country, which we know has many shortfalls, but it also has a lot of private enterprises stepping up to make a difference and assist citizens to live a happier and safer life.
Over half a million South Africans have signed up to Namola. That’s awesome! But as the country’s most widely downloaded safety app, that’s only 1% of the adult population. It’s not enough. We owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to embrace real solutions to accessible safety and emergency services.
Safety is a collective responsibility and it’s in your hands. Download the app here.
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