We see them all the time, success stories about someone who started an app in their living room and is now selling it for billions. Apps were the future in 2010, now they are the building blocks of our digital lives. With a youth unemployment rate of 44.3%, according to Stats SA, app building can offer a valuable escape hatch for the nation’s young people.
What’s more, it is something you can do at home as long as you have a stable internet connection, even at 10Mbps. This speed will suffice for your development tasks like downloading tools, libraries and resources, as well as uploading code and files to servers or repositories. Keep in mind that a higher line speed like 50Mbps can offer an even smoother experience. You may not become the next Mark Zuckerberg, but if you follow these steps, you could find yourself building the app that is your Ark to the digital promised land.
What’s the big idea
First thing first, remember there is no new idea under the sun and even fewer new app ideas that are entirely new and come purely from your brain. According to Statista, the Google Play store is home to just under 2.5 million apps while Apple’s App store is closer to 3.8 million. That is a lot of competition so instead of trying to come up with a 1 in 6.3 million idea, why not try improving or remixing an existing service? Think of a need you have and try to solve it rather than creating a unicorn from thin air. The solution could be to read app reviews, talk to friends and identify real pain points you can solve.
Figure out your features
What’s your app going to do? How is it going to make people’s lives easier or more fun? What sets it apart from others? Make a list of must-have features for your app idea. Focus on the core functionality first before getting too advanced. This is also a good time to make sense of who will be using your app and what for. Fibre products from Vuma offer varied line speeds giving you access to one of the widest fibre networks in the country with a variety of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to choose from, and more importantly, you’ll get a strong sense of the connective capabilities of a large chunk of your target audience.
Not a developer, no problem
Thanks to user-friendly platforms like AppyPie, BuildFire and Adalo, you can drag and drop to create apps without coding knowledge. If you have some coding skills AI language models like GitHub’s Copilot can automatically generate codes, fix bugs, and optimise apps based on your inputs – saving tons of time. With Vuma fibres low latency, you can effortlessly integrate these tools into your process.
Get help if you need it
If you are going to create something complicated and don’t have the skill set to do it yourself, then you may need some help. Find a friend who you can negotiate prices with alternatively, freelance developer platforms like Upwork and Fiverr let you hire affordable coders remotely.
Ready for take-off
Before making your app public, test it thoroughly with a beta group. Make sure it works exactly how you want it to work and exterminate any bugs. Once ready, submit it to the App Store for an annual cost of roughly R1 855.11 and the Play Store for approximately R468.46, all from the comfort of your workstation and then observe the results.
“Our tech opens up huge opportunities for growth in the South African economy and helps to ensure everyone gets in on the action to boost economic activity in communities. We stand by this. So, although pursuing your entrepreneurial dreams may be tough, don’t be discouraged. You can connect with the tech world 24/7, receive expert advice from individuals in various countries around the world at an affordable price, and access abundant information on a super-fast, affordable fibre connection in the comfort of your home,” says Lianne Williams, Marketing Director at Vuma.
