A number of interesting applications have been developed in Africa so far and many more are still being churned out daily. The idea is that if they solve our issues as a continent and, by extension, are able reach to the wider world, they are certainly welcome. In this light, we would be running a feature series on some of the best applications developed around this clime. One of such is the South African app, PriceCheck, a price comparison shopping portal.
Put more appropriately, PriceCheck is an e-commerce business which enables users to compare prices and products while they are still trying to decide what to buy. It has been crafted in such a way that the customer can then visit the choice shop site by clicking on the offer. From there, it takes them directly to the page where they can purchase the product they have chosen. Comparison shopping provides users with the platform that helps them to make easier purchasing decisions based on personal needs and requirements.
PriceCheck is owned by MIH Internet Africa (a part of the Naspers Group) based in Cape Town, South Africa. They have gathered together details of thousands of books, DVDs, electronics, games, cameras, music, and more on the portal. All you have to do is type in whatever you are looking for and you will be shown all the online retailers that sell the product, and how much they are charging for it.
How it started
PriceCheck was thought up in 2006 by Kevin Tucker, a local internet buff in South Africa. He knew that with more South Africans opening up to the advantages of online shopping, a price comparison portal would just be the right ticket. This led him to create a place that brought bargain hunters to within clicking distance of the retailers who could offer them the best deals. It wasn’t long before retailers also saw the advantages. By becoming a part of PriceCheck, they could ensure that their products were seen by thousands of new buyers.
Peculiar Problem It Solves
PriceCheck allows you to run relevant search, with comprehensive product listings, from trusted brand names. With credible vendors, wide ranging reviews and a highly effective price comparison technology, it provides a great place whether you are doing some shopping online, hunting for a bargain, or just comparing prices.
Unique Feature
You can compare prices, read product and retailer reviews, or charge directly to the checkout page, knowing that you found the best deal on the web. It’s growing success as a mobile price comparison tool is based on its ability to seamlessly integrate into the shopping and buying experience.
Potential Coverage
The PriceCheck app took off in South Africa, but with the value it could offer, it had the potential to expand worldwide. Already launched in Nigeria about two months ago, they are looking to launch in Kenya and Ghana towards the end of the year. The PriceCheck app It is currently available in the Android Play store, Blackberry App world, and on iTunes for the iOS platform. Having won the Blackberry International app of the year in the last awards, PriceCheck has exhibited enough potential to indicate that it indeed adds value to its many users.
Critique
Presently they offer two great features on mobile – most popular products and best of mobile web options. But it must be mentioned, that as much as it offers people the platform to compare their prices and make their own decisions, it should also be able to extract top positions from the reviews and do a kind of rating with them. This would come in handy in a situation where people do not have the time to go through all of the reviews. They could also make the shops aware that they are working out a rating scale based on direct customer feedback and nature of reviews coming in on the portal.
Conclusion
In the production of goods and services, the slogan has always been about finding a need and filling it. It pays when you find a game changer that adds enough value to users. It also gives them a profitable pedestal to leverage off, while making better buying decisions.
As Andre de Wet, GM of PriceCheck, said after the app won the Blackberry International app of the year, “What is most gratifying is that users chose an app that makes a difference to their lives. Not a social or chat app, but one that helps them make better buying decisions. The fact that a South African app won, demonstrates what I have always believed – Africa is leading the way in terms of useful, elegant and technically sophisticated mobile application development.”
