The three must to have apps for women to use in emergency in South Africa

South African apps for women

Recently the #MeToo sent shockwaves across the countries as more women came forward boldly with their stories of sexual abuse.

Women are easily targeted when she is travelling alone, in at male-dominated office environment, or even when they are just at home with their relations It is not just the sexual assault but criminal mindset or psychopaths people roam everywhere to grab your purses or just irritate you mentally with their lewd comments.

Gender based violence is high in South Africa but thanks to new technological advancements there are many devices as well as apps that send out an emergency alarm to get help in case of such abuse or threat. Though such apps cannot help you in real terms but surely will work as an aid to reach out to people for help and support.

Here are three of these wonderful apps that offer some safety measures for women and are must-have apps for women on their mobile to use in emergencies.

1. Namola

Namola App

The Namola app is a free app available at the iTunes store for iOS devices and at the Google  Play store for Android mobile.

You need a GPS-enabled phone to have this app get going. At the touch of a button, the app alerts police and other emergency agencies, as well as citizen responders, to the fact that a user needs help.

GPS technology pinpoints your location to help reach you faster. The trained app operators will confirm details and dispatch help from nearby police, sentinels or other emergency officials.

Namola recently partnered with ride-hailing app Taxify, launching an in-app safety button in an attempt to improve passenger and driver safety. You can add up to five emergency contacts who will be alerted whenever you use Namola to request assistance

2. misosSOS

mySOS App

Download this free app from the iTunes store for iPhone or Google Play for Android mobile.

This app works as an emergency for every situation, be it medical help, personal help or any other assistance you want. 

There are numerous emergency service providers, from both the public and private sector, offering emergency assistance in case of a medical, rescue, fire, police, security and roadside emergency and mySOS.

Emergency offers you access to appropriate emergency assistance when: you don’t know who to call, you don’t know where you are, you want to notify your emergency contacts about your emergency and the exact location, you want the emergency services to navigate directly to your location in an emergency

mySOS Find Near Me offers you access to contact details for doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, dentists, vets and police stations in South Africa.

mySOS Track Me can be used to track a timed journey when walking, hiking, cycling, running, or driving, anywhere in South Africa. mySOS checks your device’s GPS location and automatically notifies emergency contacts when you don’t arrive when the time countdown has completed.

The app has also recently launched a small wearable panic button that notifies your mySOS emergency contacts if you need urgent help, with no need to find your phone or look through your contact list.

Click here to know how it works in detail

3. MiBlackBox

Mi Blackbox app

At the click of a button, the app records audio, video, and images taking place around you and alerts your contacts. It’s designed to act as your “virtual witness”.

This app is free but you need to subscribe to it for an annual fee of R139.99 per year, enabling a user to record calls, photos and videos in emergencies and unforeseen events.

The file is automatically recorded and stored at an off-site secured server and an SMS notification is triggered to an emergency contact enabling the call to be accessed by the user and emergency contact.

MiBlackBox may be used in the event of a motor accident, photos or videos can be uploaded detailing the scene, the persons involved and eyewitnesses.

Being followed while driving in which case a call can be made giving the details of your location and the motor vehicle involved. Roadblock interactions domestic violence or any situations in which you are feeling threatened, insecure and or unsafe.

MiBlackBox is available to all GSM mobile phone devices that are active on the mobile network. When you register with this app the subscription is for 1 year and renews once a year.

The price of a subscription – R139.99 per year / R69.99 per 6 Months / R9.99 per Month. You can download the free version from iTunes for iOS phones or from Google play for Android phones.

Click here to learn more about this app

About the author

Kamal Kaur