It seems that July is a stellar month for South Africans on the global stage. Not only did Kevin Anderson became the first South African in 24 years to reach the quarterfinals of Wimbledon this month, but local developers of CrashDetech, have also received the nod from judges at the International Finance Awards this week.

Their app, which can auto-detect a medical emergency in real-time, has been named the Most Innovative Mobile Application in South Africa.

CrashDetech, which launched in 2016, is able to automatically detect a serious car crash and pinpoint the location. In the event of someone needing medical attention, the app will dispatch an ambulance and provide paramedics with lifesaving information. It also provides a number of road safety, security and legal benefits, while the application runs silently in the background of a cellular device.

The award recognises contributions and work in the field of technology that have incrementally enhanced financial services.

Locally though, CrashDetech has more serious implications, answering a critical problem in South Africa in particular. Indeed, the road accident toll – and associated deaths – reaching critical levels during the holiday season in particular, exceeding 14 000 during the course of 2017.  

 “We are delighted to have our solution recognised by the judges in a highly competitive category with some of the largest companies in the world,” says Jaco Gerrits, CEO of Dynamus Technologies and founder of CrashDetech.  “In South Africa, the WHO estimate that roughly 38 people are killed in road accidents each day. We hope to make a massive difference in addressing this major global public health problem,” he concluded.