Recently launched local app Bozza, the first of its kind,  is a mobile app for content distribution that is specifically aimed at musicians, poets, filmmakers and artists. The app essentially allows them to self-publish their content and earn a 50% revenue share off their channels. The content (music tracks, videos, poems, football news, animated clips, peer-to-peer learning & matric tutorials etc.) is all free to the end user and is compressed in such a way that its small enough to avoid high data charges, but without compromising on the quality of the viewing or listening experience.

Bozza aims to to fill the space where there continues to be a lack of locally generated contextually relevant content for the African market, where most individuals engage with digital communication, information and entertainment through their mobile phones.

Optimized to view content on mobile phones, Bozza currently works on all handsets, more specifically feature phones, with BlackBerry optimisation currently in development and smartphone optimisationton to follow in mid 2012.  The app is currently being integrated into the Vodacom app store and MXit users can check out the Bozza bot to find out what the app has to offer.

In 2010, Bozza’s proof of concept which was launched on MXit with seven minutes of made-for-mobile video content, had over 40 000 downloads in 3 days and 170 000 in 3 months. This success proves that there is a receptive market for local quality content and lead to Emma Kaye, Founder and CEO of Bozza, securing investment to build a custom mobile application. 

Bozza already has over 300 artists, filmmakers and poets on board and it continues to recruit from across the African continent, with new channels being released each day. Currently Bozza receives most of its content from South Africa, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Kenya with music and poetry being the most popular categories. The most popular channels include Naija Music and NaijaPoem, Badilisha Poetry, Bozza Hits and Mobi-Football.

As for future developments, the app will eventually include an m-commerce component where each channel will become a shopfront where artists will give their music and videos away for free, but will have the ability to sell merchandise and concert tickets providing them with an additional platform for exposure.  

To download the app click here.

To submit content to Bozza email wozza@bozza.mobi

Tobie told BandwidthBlog how it all began.

Tell us about your first business experience?

Whilst I was in school in a little town called Worcester back in 2000, there was a big demand for heavy metal music, something that I was and still am very passionate about. I saw this as my first business opportunity. I had all the latest records and shared them with my friends at school. I carried around a portable tape player and at break times I provided kids on the terrain with some hard and loud tunes. The platteland had no exposure to this kind of music. I was fortunate enough to have access to Google in my bedroom. I would google where to find heavy metal music and eventually came across a site called Silent Screams. Back then it was run by female Bass player Jen Rooms from a Hard Core band in Cape Town called Neshama. I worked in my parents garden, washed the cars to get some money to buy the records from her. She had all the latest unheard bands, it was perfect to introduce it to the rock ‘n roll kids at school. So eventually I got orders and started selling CD’s then T-Shirt and Belt Buckles.

What lead you to settle in Cape Town?

I grew so fond of music that it got me to start playing the guitar, but there was one problem – it was Worcester, no one has ever played in a band and at school everyone was pretty much into rugby whilst I was into skateboarding. I met with a kid around the block and got him into guitar playing, he is now my best friend and is one of the most successful up ‘n coming internet markers in the country – Dawie Bester. I took over on vocals and became a singer. I told my father I was going to become either a bad ass rock star or a producer of a big ass rock band like Tool, Guns ‘n Roses or Motley Crue. My father said he would not pay for me to study music if I wanted to become like one of the guys in the posters I had on my bedroom wall. He wanted me to take over his Financial Services Practice but, since my band members graduated from high school and needed to go study we all had to move to Cape Town, so obviously I rebelled and left the town in pursuit of this rock star life.

How did you make the transition from music to finance?

Once I moved to Cape Town I no longer sold other bands, but instead created my own. Music was my greatest passion, I wanted to live it every second of my life. I got my first band going called Antipathy, we were the beez knees and played the majority of the largest Rock concerts in SA, released an album, made some money by organising our own shows which basically became like a full time thing until I was about 21.

I moved to Cape Town to make a name for myself and my band on the local scene. Pursuing a career in music is hard work and takes up most of the time you have. I was very dedicated to my band and the management of it and was therefore very involved in all areas including finances, touring, bookings etc. Although I did not have any other ‘running’ business at the same time, I kind of knew that I was destined for something bigger. So Financial Services become my Rock ‘n Roll. I became very passionate about the subject of money and how it influences people’s lives. I knew I had a purpose to serve and quit the band to go work in the industry full time.

From where did you gain your financial knowledge – Did you study at University?

No I didn’t study a degree after school. I started working at Old Mutual at age 21. Old Mutual was a great stepping stone for me, the guys working with me back then were much older and taught me a lot about the business. But it still wasn’t enough to make it in the new generation. People wanted variety, access to information and they wanted it with speed and simplicity, no matter how hard I tried convincing them there are other opportunities out there, they still just wanted to stick to their old ways. As fun as it was, I had to leave. The corporate environment left me with very little room for innovation and I knew there were better ways to capture the new generation consumer. I also wanted to make something of myself and I knew if I was dedicated enough I would find my own way up. I have always had a great intuition in regards to financial management. My father was a huge influence on me. As a young kid, he taught me that business was all about relationships and the goal of a financial advisor is to walk the path with the client, delivering on your clients goals and ensuring that they be financially sound and taken care of in their old days.

What was it specifically that lead you into the financial market in 2008?

On the sideline I had a small music production company called “Seed Entertainment”. I owned some music equipment, a stage and a website which didn’t last long but was fun at the time. Then I got a Vox Telecom re-seller contract and recruited guys underneath me to sell VOIP and bandwidth subscriptions. I actually still receive some passive income from that. A few of my friends needed some advice to get their businesses going so I helped them in my spare time as well. But I was very much focused on my Online Financial Advisory business.

The world was shifting, ADSL came into the country, the industry was moving towards web based systems as opposed to desktop solutions. 20 Twenty bank launched and was a huge innovation for the South African market, there were only about 500 000 people online. The FSE (Financial Services Exchange) was established and served as the very first portal to aggregate a customer’s financial information .

As the times moved on, I started seeing my father giving financial advice to younger people whom all started questioning the system. I knew what their needs were and it struck me back then at age 23 – I’ve got an opportunity to solve this problem. They wanted to have access to the financial information via the internet but the industry held back for a long time. Financial Services always had an agenda, and that is to put a intermediary between you and your financial needs to push sales and not service. My father was very services orientated, he wanted the best for his customers and knew that providing good service results in customer retention and sales.

Tell us about where moneysmart began?

In order to educate myself in the business world I studied the philosophy of Robert Kiyosaki (author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”) which has made a huge impact on my life and my clients. I was totally committed to changing people’s belief’s about money, shifting the importance of financial IQ to my clients. I eventually had my own operation, I had contracts with the major Life Insurance and Investment Companies, including Sanlam, Liberty Life, Momentum, Old Mutual and many others. But I had a bigger vision and a problem , how do I reach a larger audience? My Friend Dawie (Ex Guitar player in the band) was getting into web development but also soon realized that there is a market out there, not by building websites, but by building businesses from websites. Dawie helped me understand the power of the Web and built my first website for me. Ryno van Niekerk, our moneysmart innovation officer and designer, designed my first website interface. Both guys are still my best of friends and we do business together to this day.

My online approach to financial advice became the first step to building a real business. I had clients from all over SA and I made a handsome sum of money. But still, clients could not see what their investment portfolios were doing if they didn’t contact me. They had little knowledge about putting a budget together and had no clue why insurance was important. Moneysmart was a discovery out of frustration by the industry’s lack of facilitating next generation business mediums like the internet, adapting a tone and communication language to simplify complex economic and financial terms and yet still sold insurance by fighting a TV commercial with a coffin being sunk into a grave. The real thing is, all these insurance and investment vehicles are what the rich use to protect their wealth and create more of it and the best thing about it is, you don’t need to be rich to be doing the same. You just need to start somewhere. That’s why I started moneysmart.

How did you meet Zulfiq and what was it about him that made him the ideal business partner?

It’s funny how the world works. Zulfiq and I met by referral from the Private Equity industry. We were worlds apart but yet had so much in common. Zulfiq started his business Liquid Thought at the age of 21, technology information systems, web based businesses and other ventures and went on building a couple of successful companies and participated in a lot of Entrepreneurial ventures at a very young age. What’s really funny is, we even dated the same Girl. I was so excited to meet him, so I gave him a call and we met up.

Zulfiq gave me my first business lesson on the day we met – attention to detail, I had spelling and grammar mistakes all over my business plan and it was way too long. He kept on sending me back to the drawing board. Zulfiq and I have walked the path together for over 3 years. Zulfiq was my mentor at first and then became my business partner. He taught me so much more of the business world, and stood by my side every step of the way. I had someone I could aspire to, someone that really saw the best in me and helped me become the best that I can be. Zulfiq was responsible for crystalising the moneysmart vision, develop the execution strategy and put together our pitch decks and proposal. So after brain storming, working around the clock from Mondays to Sundays, Zulfiq called me out of the blue and said, “Bro, I think we are ready. Start compiling an investor hit list” and so the real journey began.

It was 2009. There was a recession all over the world and we thought we were going to raise a couple of bar overnight. Back then there was no other business in SA to benchmark ourselves and the concept was way above most investors’ heads. We pitched to over 35 Investors, although they all showed enthusiasm and liked the idea, non were confident to invest at that time. We eventually came to meet a very astute and probably one of the coolest Entrepreneurs in SA – Mr Douglas Reed, Founder and CEO of VOX TELECOMS. We met with this great gentleman, who had so much energy and really wanted us to get this company going. He made a couple of calls and off we went to Stellenbosch. There we met our Investor. In June 2010, we got our first round of funding.

What is the ultimate goal for moneysmart?

I see moneysmart becoming the country’s leading personal finance management platform as well as a pioneer in securing the knowledge economy. I want moneysmart to be integrated into the social lives of users to empower them with our services, tools, education and products to elevate their financial intelligence and give them confidence to make their own financial planning and purchasing decisions. Of course, there is also Global Domination.

Are there any other developments in the works for moneysmart?

At this stage we are having a great time working with the Banks – they are really stepping up to meet their customers’ needs on our platform and soon, we will be building innovative solutions together. Our customers are having a ball helping us to innovate and enhance our service for them. I must say, having your customers do all the specification work makes you think who the innovators really are, but people are so involved and willing to contribute and having an army of customers really helps speed up our development.

Having a dialogue with your customers is a blessing – you know you are working towards their and your own success. We are also finalising our structure on our mobile and tablet applications and setting up workshops to teach people about money, using our tools to advance their lives and in general make the world a great place.

We are launching our first above the line Go To Market campaign called The Dream Theatre which is a full on digital experience with mind blowing technology in the first quarter of this year still. 2012 is going to be a massive year for us and another proud chapter in my life.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my journey and the moneysmart vision with you.

To sign-up with moneysmart click here. 

Eugen Petersen of Zando explains, “What do many retail stores have in common – a limited fashion selection, long queues and often they don’t have the correct size. With Zando our aim is to provide South Africans with the same hassle-free shopping experience that millions of shoppers around the world already enjoy. We seek to be more than a traditional online fashion store but rather a place where customers’ needs are both understood and satisfied.”

The process works similar to that of other online fashion sites extremely popular in the European market.  Once you have selected the item you want, you pay for it and place the order. Shipping is free to any location countrywide. When the courier arrives with your goods you can try on everything you ordered in the different sizes you may have selected and send back what you don’t want. Once they have received the items, you are reimbursed for your purchases.

Niche online fashion stores have been very successful in savvy high LSM european markets. The question then, is will it work in our small emerging market where South Africans are exposed to a few big players who primarily sell electronics such as Kalahari and Takealot and where merchandise has to function rather than fit. With online department stores offering limited merchandise and lack of exposure for those available, there is room in the market for additional players giving South Africans what the rest of the world has available (H&M, Marks & Spencers, Forever21, asos.com).

Will Rocket Internet emulate their success in Europe here in SA? Either way, they mean business!

“Our previous data promotions proved to be so successful that we decided to do it again. This time we’re giving savings of up to 60% to our customers. It is just the value proposition our customers are looking for at the beginning of the year. And as with all our data products, these promotional contracts will use Vodacom’s high speed data network with the broadest coverage across South Africa,” says Chris Ross, Managing Executive for Commercial Development at Vodacom.

The Broadband Standard MyGig 1, 24 month contract has been reduced from R249 per month to R99 per month, giving customers a 60% saving and the MyGig 2, 24 month contract has been reduced from R349 per month to R149. After the initial 24 months contract period, the contract can be renewed or will continue on a month to month basis, at the then prevailing rate for the relevant bundle size. The promotional offer includes a free modem and normal out of bundle prices apply. There are no restrictions on the use of these data bundles – they can be used any time of the day.

“We recently offered our prepaid customers a 20GB promotion that offered them great value and now we are offering our contract and Top Up customers great value” adds Ross.

Customers can visit their nearest service provider to sign up for a promotional Broadband Standard MyGig 1 or MyGig 2, 24 month data contract or Top Up data contract.

Apps4Africa is bringing their global challenge to Cape Town, by hosting a launch event for their latest challenge. The winners of this year’s challenge stand the chance to win $15000 for their winning idea! This year the competition is built around the theme of climate change.

This year, participants are invited to propose a technological solution to the climate challenge currently threatening the welfare of our planet. By attending the event you will have the opportunity to hear the insights of thought-leaders and be further briefed on how you can participate in this exciting competition!

Apps4Africa is a global initiative, which encourages individuals to develop technological solutions to environmental challenges.

If you think this will interest people you know, invite them to come along too.

Event Details:

When: 11th February 2011, 9am – 1pm

Where: Umbono Offices, 6 Beach Road, Cape Town

Tickets: Click here to register for this FREE event

For more information about Apps4Africa visit their website here. 

Cape Town based startup, Quicket, has entered into the online ticketing market to provide individuals and companies with an easy to use platform that makes it possible for them to manage their own ticketing for an event as well as providing them with a database of all attendees. All of this, Quicket claims, will cost less than booking with dominant ticketing company, Computicket and aims to generate substantial competition for the likes of Webtickets, Tixsa and Ticket Break.

The self-funded Quicket, that launched on 1st September 2011, was founded by four friends Tim Church, James Tagg, Michael Kennedy and James Hedley and was originally intended to be an accommodation booking site. The guys noticed that planning a group weekend away usually results in one person taking responsibility for it including the payment which can be challenging. They wanted to find a way for people to pay separately for accommodation, but when they started going down that path they realised how difficult it would be.

Marketing manager, James Hedley explains that “There were several problems with the idea, which was intended to drive traffic to the events website. The problem with payment collection from groups is that we would essentially become a payment processor like Payfast which entails masses of fraud problems and, we also felt that many people would not be prepared to pay the commission of 4.9 % to collect money from their friends.”

Co-founder, Tim Church continues, “Although the idea of a group booking accomodation site was exciting and potentially had legs, we felt that the model would take longer to turn a profit than an online ticketing site. We have ambitions of taking another look at this in the future.”

In the spirit of their original concept, Quicket hopes to eventually be the go-to site that involves collecting money for a group project or event such as birthday present, a holiday with friends, shared celebration or a charity.

The process itself is simple. When signing up to Quicket a user can choose to create a new account or sign in with their Facebook credentials. Signing in with your Facebook details, makes it easier to share events with ‘friends’ on the social networking site. Tickets can include as much or as little information as an event organiser requires and, in the case of simple tickets for small events, can even be sent to purchasers via SMS.

Once users have purchased a ticket, they will receive an e-mail as a PDF document and stored in their Quicket account. The client will receive a guest list and can use various criteria for authentication. For bigger events with a large amount of attendees where tickets usually include a barcode that can be scanned at the event, clients can rent a barcode scanner from Quicket that plugs into a laptop and cross-references scanned tickets with the guest list upon their arrival. Once the event is over, the client has a complete database of all those that attended as well as other information they may have requested during the booking process. When creating a new event, the client has all the information already on hand.

Quicket takes a 4,9% commission on each ticket and charges those purchasing tickets R2,90 per transaction, regardless of how many tickets they buy. “If you look at the competition, that’s roughly half of the going rate,” says Hedley.

Other features include the ability for users to sell tickets for an event on their website using the Quicket widget and running events in advance for free.

Quicket is focusing on bigger events for now because they’re better for getting the site’s name out there and shows that it can handle large events and because the banks are charging   substantial merchant fees. The company hopes to bring down those fees in coming months once it is processing larger volumes.

Since its launch Quicket has turned over about R2, 000, 000 running about 40 different events that have included workshops and seminars, music festivals, school and rotary events, parties and even a bingo evening. Its weekly turnover which is steadily growing currently sits at about       R200, 000.

As far as developments go, Quicket has just implemented a coupon code system that allows event organisers to issue discount coupons to certain guests, has also made it possible to export your event to Facebook in a matter of seconds and a feature that provides event organisers the ability to collect customer information from guests i.e. blood type for a bike race or allergens for a AGM dinner. ”Quicket plans on implementing a few exciting features over the next few weeks including an affiliate programme which would allow anyone to become a Quicket reseller essentially creating a powerful marketing tool at event organisers’ finger tips,” reveals Church. “We also plan to make it possible to sell tickets directly from Facebook.

Kethan Parbhoo, Equivalent Programme Lead at Microsoft South Africa said, “We funded the research to help Maxxor understand its customers even better. The results will help Maxxor prepare a roadmap for future product development.”

Maxxor, a software development company, has been developing games for the MXit platform for more than two years and they’ve entertained well in excess of one-million MXit users with at least one of their apps to date. As Adrian Frielinghaus, Head of Online Games at Maxxor, explains, “One of the things we’re asking ourselves is, ‘What apps, besides games, do MXit users want?’ We ran a survey amongst our players and received an overwhelming response – almost 30,000 people completed a 30-question survey. That must be some kind of world record for mobile research, and the results offered us some unique insights.”

As it turns out, MXit users don’t care too much for news headlines.What they do care about is hooking up, having fun, and finding out what their favourite celebrity got up to last night. Therefore in order to appeal to this unique market, MXit app developers need to continually create content that amuses, entertains and connects its users.

Perhaps the best news for mobile software developers is that MXit users don’t mind paying for apps as long as you give them exactly what they want. As Frielinghaus says, “This is precisely because MXit has spent years carefully grooming its users to buy virtual goods with virtual currency. This is made even easier by allowing them to easily convert their airtime into virtual MXit currency.”

In terms of user devices, as might be expected, MXit users mostly use Nokia and Samsung handsets but it is interesting to note that 11% of Maxxor’s MXit users own BlackBerries. This challenges some speculation that rapid BBM growth in the teen and youth market has been detrimental to the MXit platform. This is encouraging news for developers considering the iPhone and BlackBerry platforms, because MXit provides an ideal way to get an app to the front of the mass market queue. The Maxxor research explains exactly what sort of apps will prove successful.

Almost 75% of Maxxor’s surveyed users are accessing the web at least once a day on their mobile phones. In other words, the traditional MXit user is no longer trapped in a “walled garden”. Software developers need to realise that MXit is now part of a greater Internet experience for mobile phone users.

Watch the BandwidthBlog interview with MXit CEO Alan Knott-Craig.

Launched by Praekelt Foundation in 2009 in South Africa, YoungAfricaLive started out as a way of providing young South Africans with free access to information on love, sex and relationships in a time of prevalent HIV/AIDS in Africa, through their mobile device. It has now developed into a community of young adults who engage with another to gain reliable information, discuss issues, have fun and gain the support and input from their peers.

A 2005 study showed that 60% of Kenya’s unemployed are under 30, and where UNICEF statistics reveal 20% of the population live below the international poverty line of US$1.25 per day. In addition, research published by the World Bank indicates that 6.3% of Kenya’s population of 40.5 million is HIV positive, many of whom are young adults. These results indicate a strong need for support and engagement for and among the youth population of Kenya around HIV/AIDS and unemployment.

In bringing the vibrant mobile community to Kenya, Praekelt Foundation has partnered with leading integrated communications firm, Safaricom which now allows young Kenyans to share and discuss the issues they confront daily, via their mobile phone. Safaricom has invested heavily in bringing Internet access to the Kenyan people. According to government data, nine out of every 10 Kenyans who access the Internet regularly do so through the Safaricom network.

Nzioka Waita, Safaricom’s Director of Corporate Affairs says that “This partnership is key to our digital inclusion agenda. We believe that the best way to improve the utility and therefore take-up of the Internet among the youth of Africa and Kenya in particular, is by having relevant content on it and making it accessible to them. Being in the vanguard of the Internet explosion in Kenya, we have the network to deliver YoungAfricaLive’s socially relevant and well-packaged message to as many young Kenyans as possible.”

Having already launched in South Africa and Tanzania in partnership with Vodacom, YAL South Africa already has close to 1 million unique users while YAL Tanzania has already established a strong presence in the country with a steadily growing user base since 1st December 2011. The Praekelt Foundation and Safaricom hope to achieve the same success in Kenya.

“To follow-up a very successful launch in Tanzania late last year with YoungAfricaLive: Kenya is a great way to start 2012,” says Gustav Praekelt, founder of the Praekelt Foundation. “We are confident that young Kenyans will embrace the mobile platform with the same passion that their South African and Tanzanian counterparts have and use it to create a community that informs, supports and entertains.”

In November 2011 Praekelt Foundation was acknowledged for the success of YoungAfricaLive by winning the regional and global gold awards for Social Impact at the Mobile Marketing Awards for Innovation, Creativity and Leadership in Los Angeles.

For more information click here or follow the foundation on Twitter at @praekeltfound.

So now that major banks, telcos and other service providers have taken the initial steps in developing technologies, strategies and infrastructure for mobile banking, what is the next phase for mobile financial services? Customers are not just hoping for, but expecting more sophisticated services such as location-based services, corporate mobile banking, remote deposit capture and most importantly, mobile payments.

Smaller and more recent entrants into the mobile banking industry learn from bigger more established financial institutions and service providers. It also doesn’t end there: as competition increases, these newer entrants also look to gain competitive advantages by implementing more superior and advanced mobile banking services. Interoperability between all major role-players brings us to the issues of regulation. Taking a closer look at laws and regulations that govern the mobile banking industry we analyze possible issues, loopholes and inadequacies in existing regulation during the three day event.

With senior executives from across Africa addressing the conference, attending will give delegates the perfect opportunity to interact with banking professionals who are in charge of mobile banking and mobile payments. Other executives include professionals from telcos, mobile operators, emerging application developers and key industry analysts.

This year’s event with a revamped programme offers a comprehensive and multi-facetted agenda relevant to all professionals in the mobile banking industry. The conference features 28 top class speakers, 10 panelists, 2 panel discussions, streams, and an adjacent exhibition.

Event Details:

When: 13, 14 & 15 March 2012

Where: Indaba Hotel, Fourways, Johannesburg

For more information click here.

Design Guru is a design & development agency based in Somerset West, Cape Town. It was founded by Creative Director/CEO Jorge Brunner in 2007, and has grown from a single employee to a fully functioning team of 12. This group of talented individuals consists of a creative team of designers, a development team as well as a managerial team. Each of their creative staff offer an array of dynamic solutions and are prepared to work side by side with their clients to ensure that their visions are met. The team creates digital designs that engage their client base and evolve their brand communication. Some clients that have been acquired thus far include; PlayboySA, Riaan Manser, Triggerfish, Andrew Neethling, Hidden Pixel and GraySwan just to name a few.

In order to carry out these tasks, Design Guru finds itself comfortably situated within the CBD of Somerset West. The agency located within the Fairview Centre, has an eclectic mix of industrial rawness and clean modern surfaces. The exposed industrial sections create linear perspectives that compliment the clean white and black walls with a quirky juxtaposition. Wall art pieces, hints of vibrant colour and a closed off brainstorming and relaxation area ensure that the  environment has an inspiring and creative feel.

The open-plan office consists of three main sections: the entrance to reception where clients are welcomed and introduced, the main meeting room that doubles as a photographic area, and the team’s designated work area complete with a recreational section with couches, a foosball table and design inspiration magazines and books. The work area ensures that the Design Guru  team has an efficient environment to tackle the selection of tasks delegated and also a comfortable space to unwind and recharge the creative mind.

BandwidthBlog loves the iconic Banksy image on the door and splashes of bright colour.

Thanks to Design Guru for providing the photographs.