A recently launched South African tech startup, Jonga, aims to provide safety and security for township residents. The security company, Jonga, was originally founded in 2016 by former UCT students, Ntsako Mgiba and Ntando Shezi.
Jonga has created an affordable security system for users in township areas
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In an interview with Ventureburn, Mgiba shared that the goal for Jonga was to create the most affordable security system available.
He added that they wanted to “democratise” security and show that its security systems were not just for the “elite.”
Community-based security system
According to the Jonga website, their vision is to strengthen individual safety through the power of their community.
Using an online platform, users of Jonga’s innovative app are able to connect the built-in security system notify them of any security breaches when sensors are triggered. In addition, the app will notify users’ emergency contacts via SMS.
Through partnering with the South African safety app, Namola, residents are also able to contact emergency services.
One of the many threats to safety and security in the townships is the lack of electricity. With this in mind, the motion sensors are also installed with an ultra-durable battery that has a six-month lifespan after a single charge. Clients can also easily monitor battery levels of the security system via the Jonga app.
The long road before launching
Mgiba explained that since founding the company he and the team had gone through a long thoughtful process on the challenges that the townships face, the development of the product, and the fundraising.
“We developed the hardware from scratch,” said Mgiba.
Jonga has received funding from various Angel Investors including, Dale Williams, Melvyn Lubega, and Mark Forrester. Jonga had also received seed funding from the Savant Venture Fund.
They were able to launch their system in January of this year, only a few months before South Africa went into lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mgiba told Ventureburn in an interview that they weren’t able to sell their product until the country went into Level 3 lockdown. Using the lockdown period to improve their product offering, Jonga was able to improve their system and platform.
Unique challenges for township security
According to Mgiba there are unique challenges that townships face when it comes to security and safety. He explained that the ratio of police to residents in townships is “less favourable.”
Due to the high density of people living in township areas, there is a a lack of resources to increase security measures.
Mgiba stated that the goal for Jonga was to create the most affordable security system available.
He added that they wanted to “democratise” security and show that its security systems were not just for the “elite.”
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Featured image: Jonga team, Facebook
