Online service delivery reporting platform My Smart City has set its sights on expanding to Namibia and the UK, after seeing demand for its service locally.
Introduced by Acumen Software in 2021, My Smart City is a web and mobile app that enables residents to log calls relating to service delivery problems, including reporting potholes, monitoring power or water outages, communicating with local municipal officials and raising a petition.
My Smart City says it aims to be an all-in-one solution for community members, having added services to connect users with service providers, such as domestic cleaning, gardening, and in some areas, pet grooming – done through the “booking a service” feature.
The platform says it has grown to over 490 000 active users, at a 143% growth rate between 2023 and 2024.
After expanding to SA’s metros, the company says it has begun the initial stages of expanding to Namibia, with UK next in line during the course of the year.
Joao Zoio, CEO of Acumen, tells ITWeb: “The main factors contributing to year-on-year growth are that we’re offering a service councils don’t offer. Many councils do not have channels to log issues facing community members.
“Secondly, we put pressure on the councils to actually resolve the logged issues, which results in quicker turnaround times. Customers pick up on that and the positive results encourage them to promote the platform to other people, who then become users, too.”
When a service is booked with My Smart City, the service providers receive the full amount for the cost of the service. My Smart City takes a small percentage of the booking fee, he adds.
Zoio says the expansion of My Smart City into the major metros was a key milestone. “From that, being able to roll out into smaller cities is another milestone. It means that we’ve grown enough to have the capacity to roll out in more cities.
“The expansion into Namibia will be a huge milestone for us, as it will mean we’ve made it across borders, and once we are launched in the UK, that will also be a big milestone.”
Local cities of operation now include Cape Town, Joburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, eThekwini, Steve Tshwete, Knysna, Stellenbosch, Kwadukuza, Overstrand, Swellendam, Paarl, Mossel Bay, Langeberg, Swartland, Theewaterskloof, Mogale City, Nelson Mandela Bay, Cape Agulhas and Buffalo City.
My Smart City plans to introduce several new services on the platform, including internet of things sensors to monitor service delivery in various cities. The app will also be rolling out the MyCiti and GoGeorge bus systems on the platform.
It plans to partner with new service provider companies, rather than only individuals who are listed on the app.
“We will also have app upgrades coming to the platform, including adding new services, such as plumbers and electricians. We will use artificial intelligence to recognise, automatically log and also verify issues.
“We've also got a project that's going to go live soon where we're using cameras and Lidar to pick up issues like potholes on the road, graffiti, faded markings, water pooling and other issues,” says Zoio.
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