Seamless entry and exit from the parking area of shopping centres around SA is becoming the norm, as seen with the latest introduction of another cashless parking solution, Admyt.
Admyt joins services such as KaChing, WizzPass and Discovery Insure's EasyPark to offer cashless and ticketless parking to shoppers in local shopping centres.
The proliferation of parking apps in some areas of the country should be seen in the broader digital transformation context, says George Kalebaila, IDC senior manager for telecoms, media and Internet of things in Africa.
Technology is increasingly being applied to change the way things are done and also solve some underlying societal issues, he says. "Growing pervasiveness of mobility and emerging IOT is finding applications in cases such as parking management to improve customer experience and improve efficiencies."
Kalebaila adds: "As digital transformation takes root, consumer and business interactions will increasingly become digital. Therefore, public infrastructure and services from transport, parking, payments, government and municipal services have to also become more digitally attuned to complete the loop and contribute to moving the economy into the digital economy."
Ovum senior analyst, Richard Hurst, says mobile apps make the entire parking process more seamless.
"Across the board, mobile apps have gained popularity due to the fact that they are able to take mundane tasks and make these more convenient for the consumers. Parking apps are simply another example of the way that technology is helping people tackle these everyday tasks."
According to Mike Wronski, director at Digital Flow, technology's purpose is to make life easier by reducing the friction encountered in daily tasks.
"South Africans are a mobile-centric population and have become comfortable with using mobile apps for sensitive tasks such as e-commerce and online banking. Translating this to the parking payment space, it will be a small jump for consumers to transact on such a platform," says Wronski.
Easy access
Launched last month, Admyt is available in shopping centres like Benmore Gardens, Rivonia Village, Cradlestone Mall and Sandton City, and will launch at 24 Central next month.
The team at Admyt say they introduced the parking solution because they grew tired of having to take parking tickets, wait in lengthy queues and have small change on hand.
The team says: "Admyt was launched to revolutionise the parking industry and introduce a window-up VIP parking experience.
"The Admyt system uses licence plate recognition cameras that scan your licence plate and automatically open the barrier gate. The user does not have to open any app or interact with any system to gain entrance - they simply drive up to the barrier gate and enter. After exiting, we automatically charge a user's account the normal parking rates."
Users can access Admyt's service by either downloading the free app on iOS and Android, or go online to register on the Web site.
There are no additional transactional or monthly fees to use the system. A shopper will pay the normal ticket parking rate at an Admyt centre.
Admyt has partnered with Discovery Insure to provide discounted parking or additional parking credit to Discovery Insure clients. "Admyt aims to improve security for the clients and shopping malls through a variety of integrations and services," the team says.
Security concerns
While new parking solutions are a welcome change to the mundane process of paying for parking, security remains a concern for shoppers.
"I think the developers and users will have to remain constantly aware of the fact that there could be a danger, but I don't think that this will hamper uptake," says Hurst.
Hurst stresses end-user education is vital when developers are driving brand activations and promotions on the convenience factor of their apps.
Wronski notes there should not be any major security risks, provided the technology is well developed and thoroughly audited. "Credibility will be more easily established if these apps have the backing of trusted blue chip firms."
Security concerns, especially when it comes to credit card details, will always arise, says Kalebaila.
"I believe the benefits and convenience of such apps will outweigh security concerns as long as consumers believe their overall experience is improved."
Kalebaila adds: "For such apps to succeed, there should be critical mass of deployments of such systems at major malls especially in metro areas for such apps to be relevant. If malls with integrated parking management systems are few and apart, it may have an impact on uptake and overall sustainability of such apps."
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