Ghana’s latest digital platform, GhanApp which serves the average Ghanaian with basic information at a glance has been launched and is already changing the status quo.
This new mobile app, only available for android users only, which allows users to access services on the Google Play store has received positive feedback from its first batch of users.
The app is a “one-stop shop” that provide users with vital information such as weather updates, stock exchange, entertainment news and latest trends that consume more than half storage spaces on their mobile devices.
The master mind behind the app, Yaw Owusu-Sarpong, in an interview with Biztech Africa stated that the app is to provide daily information to users to start their day with.
“Beyond that, it is also a combination of several apps I had envisioned and actually developed over time in a personal initiative I called 'An App a Week' just to showcase to young people that they could venture into app development with basic programming skills while building up for more complex developments later,” he said
Revealing the challenges he faces, the young Techpreneur expressed his concern for the high demand of western develop apps by the Ghanaian market and hopes locals will patronize apps developed here in Ghana which meet the same needs.
“While there are a lot of local apps, the consumers tend to focus more on the bigger international brands,” he said.
He also identified the issue of sustainability as one of the main challenges locally developed apps face, according to him, most locally developed apps do not reach a stage of maturity but rather die and this is unfortunately blamed on inadequate investment in marketing.
Despite these issues, the young developer has hope in the future of other local app developers and encouraged the media to support in any way they can.
“Things can only get better. Skill development is becoming less of a hurdle for people who are determined to go into the industry. I believe the media industry can play a huge role in improving things by giving developers the platform to showcase and promote their apps” he added.