From Taxi Apps to Crime Alerts: Young Developer, 23, Builds App to Protect South Africans

• Sphephelo Mabena, a 23-year-old developer, launched Crime Alert, a mobile app helping South Africans track crime trends in their area
• The app allows users to browse reported incidents, receive updates, and anonymously report crime
• Mabena first made headlines at 17 when he built a taxi change calculator app, showing a long track record of using tech to solve community problems
• Briefly News writer Gloria Masia spoke to software developer Andani Mathavha, who shared his perspective on a 23-year-old building an app

Sphephelo Mabena, a 23-year-old software developer from Daveyton, built a mobile app called Crime Alert to help South Africans stay informed about crime happening in their neighbourhoods.

The app lets users browse reported crime incidents, receive real-time updates, and anonymously report incidents in their area. It also includes an insights section that breaks down crime patterns and trends to help communities make sense of what is happening around them.

Read also

Mzansi impressed as 25-year-old man shows progress of his Thohoyandou home build

Mabena said the idea came from a gap he kept noticing in everyday life.

"I noticed that many people are not consistently informed about crime trends happening around them, and information is often scattered across different platforms and community groups," he said.

Why is the Crime Alert app important?

Since its launch, Crime Alert has gained over 2,500 downloads. Mabena also runs a Crime Alert TikTok page with more than 13,000 followers and over 250,000 likes, where he regularly shares crime awareness content and safety tips for South Africans.

Taking to the social media platform, Mabena explained what the app is and why it's important. Take a look at the clip below:

A problem-solver since his school days

This is not the first time Mabena has used code to fix something that frustrated people around him. Back in 2020, at just 17 years old, he built an app called 4local after watching taxi passengers argue over miscalculated change.

Read also

Mmabatho Montsho dragged after African unity comments spark fierce backlash online

"I decided to solve this problem by creating the app to assist those who get frustrated by counting change in a taxi," he said at the time.

He taught himself programming in Java through YouTube tutorials, and it took him just two weeks to build 4local. The app quickly picked up more than 2,000 installs, with strong reviews from the community.

Now six years on, Mabena has taken that same self-taught drive and turned it toward one of South Africa's most pressing issues: public safety.

"I am passionate about using technology to solve real community challenges and improve public safety awareness in South Africa," he said.

Software Developer Andani told Briefly News writer Gloria Masia that developing such an app at a young age is significant because it goes beyond coding and focuses on real-world problem-solving.

“From a software development point of view, it’s actually very significant. Building something at 23 that tackles a real issue like crime and public safety shows strong problem-solving and purpose-driven development. It’s not just about coding an app, it’s about understanding user needs, urgency, and real-world impact, that’s where good developers stand out.”

Read also

"Rands or Naira?": SA stunned after Icebolethu CEO shares she built R1bn funeral empire without loan

He also highlighted the technical challenges involved in building reliable safety-focused platforms that operate in real time.

“The biggest challenges are usually around real-time reliability and data accuracy. Safety apps need instant updates, so you’re dealing with latency, scaling, and system uptime under pressure. Then there’s verification of reports to avoid false alarms, plus privacy and security, because you’re handling sensitive user data, which adds another layer of complexity.”

Finally, Andani explained what makes a crime alert app effective and trustworthy for users.

“For a crime alert app to be trusted and effective, it needs verified reporting systems, location accuracy, and fast notifications. A clean, simple UI is key because in emergencies people don’t have time to think. I’d also say community moderation, emergency contacts integration, and strong data protection policies are essential for credibility and long-term trust.”

3 Other South Africans who pioneered groundbreaking apps

• Briefly News previously reported a young South African entrepreneur launched Pantry Pal, a grocery delivery app that connects customers with trusted personal shoppers.
• Two self-taught friends from rural Limpopo built the Novar educational app using a R700 second-hand computer.
• In another story, a South African entrepreneur launched a gifting and investment app to help families build long-term wealth for children.

Source: Briefly News