Citizen public service platform My Smart City has launched the In the City feature, which provides local leisure offerings, performance insights and value-added services for city residents to connect to a city and to boost citizen activity, positively affecting the economy, says software development company Acumen Software CEO Joao Zoio.
The In the City feature follows the introduction of a social feed to the platform, which shares information like load-shedding schedules and alerts from other community members.
The local insights function of the In the City feature enables citizens to view reports and statistics on issue resolution. The breakdown includes the number of problems fixed, the time taken to fix them, an age analysis of open issues and how their ward or city compares to others.
The function also provides open access to value-added services with in-app purchases of airtime, data and lottery tickets. Users will soon also be able to buy prepaid electricity.
In-app purchases can be made with peace of mind, as the infrastructure is a secure and encrypted payment solution, Acumen Software says.
Additionally, the places of interest functionality introduces a digital directory with information on tourist attractions such as landmarks, galleries, parks and museums. All the attraction details, including trading hours, location and more, will be available.
Further, the In the City feature will also provide access to information on social, sporting and music events with seamless booking and payment functionality.
"We are excited about the 'What's on in your City' and 'Places of Interest' categories with the potential to build local tourism. South Africa's tourism industry was one of the hardest hit during the pandemic.
"With 'In the City' features, citizens are encouraged to explore their cities and support local tourism,” explains Acumen Software COO Kennedy Mogotsi.
The ‘In the City’ function encourages active citizenry through its 'Local Insights' category. With access to insights into municipal wards' performance, citizens can educate themselves on what's going on in their neighbourhoods and compare their wards' performance to others. This insight promotes transparency and accountability and strengthens the voice of citizens.
"One of our goals has always been to encourage active citizenry whereby users become agents of change. This feature enables users to pinpoint issues, share problem-solving ideas and support municipalities through active citizenship,” says Zoio.
Citizens can easily access information about their cities on the My Smart City platform and, with the In the City feature, they can enjoy what their city has to offer them, he says.