ONE-ON-ONE Interview with the Guy Behind Zzula, the App Revolutionizing Security of Vehicles
His Zzula App is revolutionizing the way Ugandans are securing their vehicles, documents and other valuables. Michael Rutaremwa Favour takes The Pearl Times through the journey and inspiration behind the Zzula app. Below are the excerpts:
QN: Please tell us about yourself and team that worked on the Zzula app
ANS: I am a Ugandan, aged 32, passionate about finding solutions for common problems. That’s how I get into innovations. I am a thinker and I am blessed to have met a friend named Paul who believed in my ideas when I shared with him my innovations. He didn’t hesitate to invest in them. It is almost impossible to find an African investor for ideas such as apps. But I believe soon investors shall be hunting for ideas such as Zzula App since that’s where the world is heading. The richest business men on earth are in tech. So, African businessmen should arise to the new reality such that we develop African systems for African problems.
Zzula App has a team of experienced software engineers who have worked as a team to make sure it works well.
What was the motivation behind the Zzula app?
The genesis of Zzula is interesting but I’ll make it brief. Around 2016, thieves broke into my house in Najjera II and stole a number of things in my house. Among these things was my Imac which had all my clients’ work. I spent a lot of money tracking my things but all in vain.
Little did I know that this was my turning point in view of the world. I had even never imagined myself being an innovator but it was in one overnight prayers I had attended when I earnestly prayed to God and asked him to reveal to me a new line of business that is exceptional that my eyes opened.
I went home and in the living room ideas started popping in my head, imagining an innocent person buying my stolen electronics without a way to confirm that they are stolen.
The possibilities for them to have confirmed and helped me recover the items in the process, so on and so forth. That was the genesis of Zzula.
With so much joy I shouted praises to God for opening my understanding. I grabbed a note book and wrote the idea down and over the years I have been modifying it to what it is now.
Of course it has taken all this while because funding was an issue as it is very expensive to facilitate the team to bring such an idea to life through coding. So that’s how Zzula App was birthed.
Why should Ugandans download the Zzula app?
Not only Ugandans, Zzula App is open to all countries. Just that it is an innovation birthed in Uganda but its open to all countries especially the African countries since it’s a common problem we all share as a continent.
People travel from country to country and loose documents in the buses, cars are stolen from one country and sold in another. So, Zzula App is a solution for all Africans. That is why I encourage all Africans reading this to download and share the app.
Governments should also embrace and encourage their citizens to use the app. Data from this app can help in investigations in many instances. So just like Insurance is a basic need, so is Zzula App. Everyone needs it regardless of social status.
If you think you don’t need it, you will need it when something of yours goes missing. The App will be available to help you regardless. And it’s free.
How important is this app to Uganda government efforts to protect and secure citizens’ property?
Very important as it provides confidence and proof of ownership of properties. The app has many functions that enable one’s safety.
Imagine being taken to prison for having a stolen phone which you bought off the streets or from a friend who denies having sold it to you.
Transferring ownership via the app will be good evidence to show previous owner. Therefore if the government can study our system, they will realize how important such data is and can be used in courts to settle such matters.
How would you like the government and investors to help Zzula app developers and other innovators?
This is a good question and I pray the government takes my submission into consideration.
- Innovations have the potential to boost the economy and therefore should be embraced through setting up a unique body to listen to innovators and support them financially.
- Our system of policy making has no provision for innovations since innovations are new creations, most of which need government support by endorsement. But as you know, everything here has to go through parliament of which it’s not good because they end up politicizing solutions that are meant for good and they end up destroying the whole idea.
- We need innovators in key positions of decision making. It’s difficult to understand the world of innovators if you are not an innovator yourself. So I ask the government to bring us on board to suggest ideas around innovations and have them put in place.
- Many innovators have ideas that can create employment opportunities but they fear sharing them because there is a group of smart guys that steal ideas and change a few things here and there and claim the idea. This has been one of the greatest challenge innovators have. So we need a safe space to share ideas where cameras are set up and the board listening in is set up by government. So that these innovations are financed just like government through OWC is funding agriculture and other businesses. Innovations need to be studied and innovators supported. Many are now going to the grave with ideas that would have saved the nation in sectors of health, tech etc. because they fear their ideas being pirated. I can write a whole book about this. But government, please get us on board.
Please take us through the process of downloading the app and creating a social security account.
It’s simple. Simply get to your Appstore or Playstore and search for ‘Zzula App’ it will show and you download it. The prompts are easy and user friendly. Those without smartphones can be helped by a friend or neighbour with a smartphone to create an account and save in their details and report any missing items. As long as your number is there. If you ID is found, you shall receive a call from either the police or a good Samaritan.
You can also log onto zzula.co and click on the links for either iOS or Android and access the app. Please note its free usage and no annoying ads.
You can read more about the Zzula App and how to download it Here.
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