Namola is South Africa’s fastest growing security, policing and emergency response app. It is available nationally, has 160,000 registered users and is quickly becoming an essential part of making South Africa safer.
The most explicit indication that Namola is on the right track is how satisfied its users are. The past 5,000 real alerts reported through the app received an average rating of 94% (4.7 out of 5).
The previous 32,000 test alerts got 98%!
When last did you hear of the police or anyone in law enforcement getting a satisfaction score in the 90’s?
Namola was launched in 2016 as a service for the residents of the City of Tshwane and the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD). It enabled users within the city to share their GPS location directly with tablets mounted in the nearest three TMPD vehicles with the goal of speeding up dispatch and response times and improving police accountability.
It was called the worlds first “Uber for Police”.
At the end of 2017, based on valuable lessons learned with the TMPD, the way Namola worked changed. We did away with the tablets, included more responders, added EMS and expanded our coverage throughout our country.
No matter where you are, Namola is the bridge that connects you with public, private and community law enforcement and emergency services
Traditionally when you call 10111, 112, 10177 (ambulance), 012 358 7095 (TMPD) or any of the countless national, regional or local emergency phone numbers, the operator will ask for your details, the nature of your call as well as your nearest intersection.
Do you know what your nearest intersection is right now? How long does it take to spell your name on the phone?
When you request assistance using Namola today, the app notifies a 24/7 response centre and your assigned family and friends. A trained and experienced agent phones you back within a few seconds knowing who you are, where you are and what the nature of your emergency is.
Once the agent has verified that the call is genuine, the relevant, local and appropriate response networks — including over 160 community policing forums that have been vetted and added to the Namola Watch network — are notified.
During the response the agent keeps in contact with the user to give them continuous updates and peace of mind.
Here are five reasons why Namola should be considered an important part of our crime fighting and making South Africa safer mix:
1.It’s effective in reality.
Namola is not just an idea anymore. It works.
Everyday users and others, like this 8-year-old who was recently saved, are benefiting from the app.
2. Improves the allocation of resources
South Africa is plagued by overlapping organisations like the SAPS, traffic, Metro Police, CPF’s and local action groups that have similar roles but operate in silos.
Since Namola bridges the gap between these organisations, it improves coordination without changing their operational structures.
Our neighbourhoods can be safer without putting more police officers or paramedics on our roads.
3. It’s available to everyone.
The poor are the hardest hit by crime.
Namola focuses on giving all citizens access to more effective, faster and customer service-driven response.
Through a partnership with the Tears Foundation, Namola is available on feature phones over USSD. Smartphones and the internet are however fast becoming more readily available to everyone.
(Namola has plans to assist private security companies profitably expand to poorer areas)
4. Improved understanding of where emergencies happen
By coordinating the response of multiple organisations in multiple sectors, Namola is building a more precise, faster and real-time understanding of where emergencies happen and how we respond to them. The system is getting smarter and, as it grows, it will become more proactive and less reactive.
5. It’s communal
The more of us with the app on our phones the more those around us can benefit from our ability to get them help fast.