samantha smith btech: it presentation
TRANSCRIPT
Samantha SmithMarlon Parker
• Introduction
• Key Points
• Unemployment
• The Uusi Employment Project
• Research Methodology
• Findings
• Discussion of Findings
• Recommendations and Conclusions
• South Africa is considered one of the highest of the
African countries with high mobile penetration.
(Rashid and Elder, 2009).
• Voice communication and data services are the dominant
use of mobile technology (Jarvenpaa and Lang, 2005).
• Cost is a deciding factor when considering
to adopt mobile technology and the
mobile internet.
• Mobile phones have been widely accepted by all communities in
South Africa.
• Mobile phones are currently used effectively as a tool to
empower communities in South Africa.
• Prepaid Subscriptions have made mobile phones
accessible to lower income populations.
• A user’s perception is influenced by their experience with the
technology and the services provided through the technology.
• Users find ways to incorporate their mobile phones into their
daily lives.
• The mobile phone has, in some cases, replaced
land lines.
KZN WP RSA NC FS GP MP LP EC NWPercentage
increase/decrease from Q4:
2008 to Q4: 2009
- 1.5 + 4.6 +2.4 +3.3 +2.7 +5 +3.5 -2 +1.8 +1.3
• The South African market is generally dispersed and specialised in nature.
• Most employment prospects are found in high-density centres.
Table 1: Percentage increase/decrease from Quarter 4 2008 to Quarter 4 2009
• Uusi, a Reconstructed Living Lab (RLabs) initiative, aims to
provide communities with an effective means to find job
opportunities that meet their specification at their fingertips.
• Usability and simplicity is of high importance.
• Advertise and search for job opportunities,
free of charge.
• Main Objective :
• Determine whether there is an opportunity to use mobile
technology to address the unemployment in the Western Cape.
• Qualitative Approach:
• Interviews with unemployed
community members from
Bridgetown, Athlone.
• Interview Aim:
• Determine if and how mobile internet services are used.
• Determine whether unemployed communities would make
use of a job opportunity mobile
internet service.
• Uusi Feedback:
• Easy to use and navigate
• Clear Content
• “What I am looking for”
• Job opportunity searching is almost endless in most cases.
• Ranging from a few months to up to 4 years.
• All interviewees have access to a mobile phone with mobile
internet.
• The interviewees all access the mobile internet on a daily
basis, varying in hours a day.
• Common medium for job opportunity searching was the newspaper.
• Common employment type interviewees’
look for is a permanent job.
• Job security is important to support
family.
• Suggestions for future Uusi additions:
• Advanced search options.
• User tips for CV writing and personal skill development.
• Interviewees favourite features:
• SMS notification system.
• Save time and money for users.
• Availability of service on the mobile internet.
• Very convenient.
• Drastic increase of mobile technology adoption
within South Africa.
• Information can now be accessed anywhere,
at anytime from the palm of peoples’ hands.
• Social ills facing the Western Cape
may very well be linked to
unemployment.
• High unemployment rates and mobile phone
penetration has lead the development of Uusi.
• If Uusi is proven to be a success in the
Western Cape, then an opportunity
exists to expand it’s services to other
regions of South Africa.
