SA duo app-ly their minds

A SOUTH AFRICAN teenager who recently won a scholarship to attend the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in the US yesterday, said he plans to start a gaming-development studio when he finishes school.

“It was amazing to be part of such a prestigious event, and inspiring to speak to some successful individuals,” said Joburg creative designer Brandon Kynoch, 18.

“It opened my mind to the sheer scale of some of the apps on the App store, and the great possibilities that the industry holds.”

Brandon and another rising technology star on the app development scene, Dieter Kunze, 21, are paving the way for young people to get involved in coding and programming.

Brandon’s recent gaming app, Sector, released in October, achieved remarkable success for the self-taught programmer.

After the success of his first game Blast, released in February last year, he developed Torus, which is best suited for casual everyday distraction. His latest app has received several accolades including the No 1 spot in the free action games category.

Kunze created Lazy Bones, which tracks and monitors various aspects of one’s daily life, focusing on mental and physical well-being by building healthy habits into a routine.

Lazy Bones was named app of the day and listed as the editor’s choice on the App store over the past year.

“I think we’ve only just scratched the surface of what technology can do for us,” he said.

“I spent a lot of time online watching YouTube videos and finding sites that teach things like video editing, graphic design and coding languages that make it easy for anyone to understand.

“All you need is passion and determination.”