Young South African tech innovators have been selected as finalists for
the Apps for Africa competition for their women’s health app called FemConnect.
Asonele Kotu, the chief executive and founder of FemConnect, said the free app was aimed at empowering women to make decisions about the right type of contraception for their bodies, allowing them to purchase the medication through the app.
“As a young South African woman, I’ve realised that access to contraceptives isn’t as easy as it should be for all women, with the barriers of high costs, long waiting time in clinics and expensive doctor visits contributing to female reproductive health becoming a mammoth task,” she said.
“I started using contraceptives in my early twenties as a student and I became used to the procedure of doing my family planning at the local clinic.
“As the years progressed, my husband and I wanted to have full control of our family size and struggled to find the right contraceptive for me from what was offered by the government,”
The app will also allow women to purchase and donate sanitary pads to young girls from disadvantaged backgrounds who can’t afford them.
“FemConnect is an initiative by Dboye Creatives Inc, a company founded in 2017 by Darrel Boye-Quaye and myself.
“The project is self-funded by the business founders. We’re seeking investors and connecting with partners who can assist us in getting our project into the market,” Kotu said.
FemConnect is one of 17 South African start-ups that have reached the final top 50 of the contest.