18 Oct 2017

Acting permanent secretary for the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, Mr Vincent Bagopi says the launch of Seek It, a full service Android mobile marketing application seeks to challenge the traditional means of information sharing and marketing.

Giving remarks on behalf of Advocate Sadique Kebonang at the launch of the application on Ocotber 17 in Gaborone, Mr Bagopi said with the smartphones, mobile devices and mobile Apps becoming popular worldwide,

Botswana would soon emerge as a significant regional player in smartphone App development.

 Botswana has one of the highest mobile devices market penetration rates in Africa, resulting in a notable increase in Internet connectivity for both fixed and mobile devices, he said.

“According to BOCRA 2015/2016 annual report, mobile Internet connectivity increased by 14.4 per cent from 1.8million in March 2015 to 1.36 million in March 2016.

Even though mobile Internet connectivity is more expensive, it managed to surpass fixed connectivity, mainly because of its convenience,” he said. Mr Bagopi further noted that the advent of mobile Apps had contributed immensely to the creation and revenue generation in the ICT world.

He said the industry would play a major role in Botswana’s economic diversification drive if nurtured correctly.

He highlighted that as long as people continued making use of their smartphones, tablets and media pads, the sale and use of mobile Apps would continue to grow and the industry would continue to expand.

“This is the right time for Batswana companies such as AppSmart to jump onto the bandwagon and put Botswana on the map as a major player in the ICT industry. The mobile applications development industry has been experiencing steady growth, both in terms of revenue generation and job creation,” he advised.

AppSmart is a smartphone App development company set to compete in the highly competitive ICT industry.

The Seek It App will be available for download from the three mobile app stores (Google Play, Apple App Store and Windows Store). The App is now only available for android devices, but will be available for other devices in the near future.

Seek It application specialises in providing innovative, traffic driven, cost effective and smart marketing to the business community in Botswana.

The application allows businesses that have subscribed and listed with it to target their clients more effectively through their smartphones. It also provides an easy and engaging way for customers to access latest information about their businesses and outlets.

The application was developed by AppSmart, a local mobile apps development company with the intention to provide Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and other companies with a platform to market themselves. The app seeks to connect local businesses with the community they serve; providing customers with directions to company offices and locations, emergency numbers, accommodation, advertising opportunities, property for sale and many other features.

Presenting on the product, the AppSmart chief executive officer Mr Opelo Mothukuthedi said Seek It seeks to increase the overall brand exposure for all listed companies and their foot traffic while optimising digital experience for mobile users across all devices.

He said what makes their app different was that it has incorporated different web mapping services such as Goggle maps to come up with solutions that would benefit and/or market businesses better.

He said only those companies that have subscribed for as less than P400 would be listed on the application.ENDS