Walter Sisulu University alumna, Talita Giqo, recently pocketed a R430,000 award prize from the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) to further develop her Online Check-in App that will allow hotel guests to self-check-in with ease.

The App will assist guests and business owners to manage access to rooms through virtual cards that use pin codes, QR codes, Bar codes, or biometric authentication via mobile devices. It will also allow users to pre-order meals, which will allow business owners to reduce waste since they can prepare food according to the orders.

The Information Communication Technology graduate with a focus in software development invented the EmboDGtech application with the intention to reduce long queues and help with social distancing for visitors retrieving room access cards and keys at hotel reception.

“A call was made for South African innovators in the tourism industry, both current and potential, to submit funding applications for the creation of solutions addressing the demands of the industry with a heavy emphasis on digital and green technology,” said Giqo.

The Tourism Technology Innovation Incubation Programme was developed by the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) and the Department of Tourism with the goal of fostering a pipeline of tourism-tech entrepreneurs who can disrupt the sector as well as facilitate the introduction of fresh ideas that will help the sector grow, remain viable, and add more jobs.

"I was delighted to hear about this because it involved IT, as a result, I developed an IT solution to help the tourism industry. Only 20 innovators were chosen out of all applicants and only two of us were from the Eastern Cape”, said Giqo.

Giqo, along with two other WSU alumni who also graduated in the previously mentioned course, Philasande Mathafeni, and Phelokazi Mantu, are hard at work developing their business website, and Giqo plans to use the grant to develop her app until it is ready for the market.

By Sibabalwe Kela