Mobenzi

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Project Title

Mobenzi

Project Partners

Clyral; Light Providers

Location

Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal

Funding

Business Trust: R1,050,000

Clyral:R885,000

Project Challenge

Clyrals project addresses two significant institutional issues. Firstly, there are thousands of unemployed individuals in South Africa who are literate to a greater or lesser extent. There are also thousands more who are under-employed and earn a low income and have significant free time available. Most of these individuals own mobile phones.

Secondly, there is a growing demand amongst businesses for somewhat trivial but time-consuming problems that are difficult, expensive or inappropriate for a computer to perform. These activities, Human Intelligence Tasks,can often be completed by rudimentarily-skilled workers. Mobenzi offers a solution to these issues, by linking supply and demand with an existing mobile platform.

The platform currently uses standard, low cost mobile phones to complete complex forms, but can be adapted to facilitate the processing oftasks. The mobile application is able to run on a handset costing in the region of R480and is very easy to learn to use. Low income South Africans will therefore be able to complete these tasks on their cellphones and earn income, either in their spare time or, in exceptional cases, as their main income generating activity.

Clyral anticipates that the service could experience rapid viral growth over the next few years, providing new income to thousands of low income South Africans. Furthermore, Clyral intends on looking into further tasks that can be completed using the mobile platform, and expanding the service offering.

Expected Project Impact

 

  • New source of earnings for low-income South Africans - expected income of up toR400per month (based on a maximum of 40 hours per month)
  • Increased income for 50 people (immediately) and in the longer term, many thousands.
  • Contracting of 50 people (immediately) and in the longer term, many thousands.
  • The service has the potential to bring significant revenue from local and international organisations to rural South African mobile workers.
  • Transfer of skills, knowledge, and technological expertise

 

 



Corporate Partners