Local web whizz to represent SA at tech exhibition
LOCAL web developer, Morena Mohale, will be representing South Africa at the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Telecom World 2017 in the Republic of Korea later this month.
This three-day event, scheduled to take place in Busan from September 25 to 28, is considered to be the United Nation’s premier annual tech exhibition, with 193 member states and more than 700 private sector entities utilising this global platform for governments, corporates and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to accelerate information communication technology (ICT) innovation for economic growth and social good.
Apart from the exhibits, the event will also include high-level debates on the core issues affecting the industry along with unprecedented access to emerging markets and a number of awards for exceptional contributions to the industry.
These include the SMME Global Award, where Mohale and his webbased software development company, Lobster Consulting Solutions, will be aiming to walk away with the top accolade.
“The organisers of Telecom World look for projects that are likely to have a major impact on society and I’m thrilled to have been asked to exhibit as this prestigious event is a real honour,” Mohale said yesterday.
The web developer added that the event would also include the official launch of his company’s mobile app, “Rent My Pozie”, which he believes is set to revolutionise the process of finding student accommodation.
While the website has already gone live, Mohale said that the launch of this mobile service was sure to be the highlight of his trip to Asia.
“Currently, South African universities are only able to provide about 30 percent of their students with accommodation, meaning that roughly 70 percent are forced to look for housing off-campus,” he explained.
“Rent My Pozie is an innovative concept aimed at addressing the needs of students by making it easy and convenient for them to search and find suitable accommodation close to the university or college where they have enrolled.
“The idea evolved out of a need and the experience of the owners and fellow students faced when struggling to find accommodation in an unfamiliar city, sometimes being defrauded in the process.
“While there were over 1.1 million students in South Africa , local tertiary institutions are only able to accommodate slightly over 330 000, ensuring a huge market for his product.
“A survey conducted by the Department of Higher Education last year, found that of the 710 000 students enrolled at 50 different public technical and vocational training colleges countrywide, there were only 10 120 beds available.
“This indicates that colleges are only able to provide accommodation for 1.4 percent of their student body.”
“Hopefully, Telecom World will provide the exposure needed to see Rent My Pozie reach a global audience and make concerns about finding good, clean, safe housing a thing of the past.”