Crime reporting app Namola now available across South Africa

South African crime response app Namola is now available to use across the country, the company and its partner Dialdirect announced Friday.

The app, which was initially available in Tshwane, allows users to request police or emergency assistance by sharing acute details with officials, including current location, and the nature of the emergency from their devices.

It has been dubbed the “Uber for police”.

“For genuine alerts, police, other emergency response and citizen responders are then dispatched and monitored,” the company noted in a press release.

According to Dialdirect’s executive head Warwick Scott-Rodger, the app is a “smart compliment” to other police dispatcher services, like 10111.

“Your call will always be answered and the information will be passed on to the nearest police station,” he explains. “Namola doesn’t guarantee that the police will be on time, but it improves your chances to get help greatly.”

The app has also “proved to be effective in improving turnaround time when responding to crime incidents and emergency alerts”, noted Gauteng’s MEC for community safety, Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane.

Namola, available on Android and iOS, has over 80 000 registered users.

Feature image: Namola