2 Brilliant students develop app that helps young people make money

2 Brilliant students develop app that helps young people make money

- Lebogang Dludlu and Vuyo Mbalane have come up with a genius app that can help their fellow students generate an income while also assisting the sick and elderly

- The two students' invention bagged them a prize in the 2019 annual EnactusZA competitions

- Speaking to Briefly.co.za, the young entrepreneurs opened up about their lives and success

Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in

Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana

South Africa has no shortage of bright young minds and Lebogang Dludlu and Vuyo Mbalane prove it. The students developed a mobile app that allows other people to request that volunteers stand in queues for them at a price.

This allows young people to generate an income while helping the sick and elderly to stay off their feet until its their turn to be helped - and that's only one of the cool features of Lebogang and Vuyo's app.

Read also

Man with Master's degree and 30 other certificates turns egg seller after failing to get job

Speaking to in a Q&A, the duo opened up about their success, life and who inspires them to push for greatness.

2 Brilliant students develop app that helps young people make money
Lebogang (left) and Vuyo (right) have opened up about how they took hold of an opportunity and ended up creating an app that could help others. Photo: Supplied.
Source: UGC

1. Where do you guys come from and what were your childhoods like?

Vuyo:

"I grew up in Mthatha and I was raised by a single mother. I have three siblings (two sisters and a brother) plus I'm the last born (best and worst thing). Growing up, I was always that responsible child since my mom was always at work and my siblings were preoccupied with school."

Lebogang:

"I Grew up at Clau-Clau Trust in Nelspruit, staying with my grandmother only in the early stages of childhood due to the parents separation but it did not stop me from experiencing love from both of my parents. From early education at Nyalungu Primary followed by Mtfonjeni Combined to matric school which is Mthombo High School, I was always excited by the idea of a big family which was seen by number of visits I would have on weekends to my different siblings.

Read also

Honest driver who returned GHc 26k he found rewarded with GHc4,000

"We would play more outdoor games as we had no cellphones and did not care, games like hide and seek were always fun as we would play it with our kids in communities. It was really fun."

2. What are you studying at the moment?

Vuyo:

"Bachelor of Radiography in Diagnostics at Nelson Mandela University and finishing off my BCom."

Lebogang:

"Bcom economics at University of Fort Hare."

3. How did you pick your career paths?

Vuyo:

"I picked BCom since I wanted to be a CA(SA) but I changed my mind when I was in first year and decided to pursue something I am passionate about and that is helping people."

Lebogang:

"Being comfortable working with numbers and analysing, I always wanted to understand the economic life, those what-how-if-why things are happening like these in the economy, and not just stopping there but giving educated solutions for the better of the nation as an economist."

Read also

Young boy builds power plant, invites people to charge their phones, gadgets

4. Who in your life inspires you?

Vuyo:

"My mother. She managed to juggle work and everything. We never felt that void that she was not always around."

Lebogang:

"My family, they are the reason I want to do more - be a better brother and child to them, driven by the value of respect."

5. How did you come up with the idea for the app?

Vuyo and Lebogang:

"We are active students outside the lecture venue, and want to develop and grow our potential by helping communities in the process. We then joined a student organisation called ‘Enactus’ which is challenging young people in an educational space to make a difference in their communities through establishing sustainable projects by working with the community, while developing the skills to become socially responsible leaders.
"Lebogang is the current president of Enactus Fort Hare while Vuyo is the former Vice President. Together we entered the MTN ICT CHALLENGE IN 2019 representing Enactus UFH against other institutions where Enactus organisation exists. This competition propelled us to use the design thinking methodology by chosing one sector from the following three: Agriculture, Health, and Education. We chose the health sector, finding the medical paper system and long queues as a big issue. We decided to address these issues in our reports.

Read also

US-based Ghanaian comedian Michael Blackson builds a school in his village; video drops

"We submitted reports, there were eliminations, and we recall in most cases we wrote sick tests and passed to have more time on the MTN ICT challenge a lot was at stake. In July 2019, at the annual EnactusZA competitions, our project was among the top 6 winners making us eligible for funding, and developing our digital solution to reality. Today, we call our app ‘Eazy2Q’ which is where you can request someone to queue for you, and queue for someone too."

6. What are your dreams and hopes for the future?

Vuyo:

"To specialise in MRI and have a PhD. I believe in education and also helping other people."

Lebogang:

"To qualify as an Economist, and establish a school of Economics in South Africa, since children are our future, we need to show them how it's done, and hope they lead the way forward."

7. Do you have a message for other young South Africans?

Vuyo:

"Never settle for less and always do what you love."

Lebogang:

"Please stop making excuses and move out of your comfort zone, your hard work won’t disappoint you."

In other news, Briefly.co.za earlier reported on another bright young mind. Kgaogelo Bopape has flown South Africa's flag high. The Grade 12 pupil, who hails from Soweto, managed to obtain an amazing achievement.

The 17-year-old Horizon International School pupil walked away with a bronze medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). The Olympiad was set to be hosted in Russia this year but because of the pandemic, young maths geniuses from around the world took part in it virtually.

Bopape not only managed to get a medal, he also made history. The young maths whizz became the first African to ever get a bronze medal at the IMO.

"Life has been better for me since I exited the Shatta Movement Camp" Addi Self | #Yencomgh

Subscribe to watch new videos

Have national and human interest issues to discuss?

Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition?

Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page.

Source: YEN.com.gh

Online view pixel