CityMenderSA: A revolutionary app transforming service delivery in South Africa

In a country where effective service delivery often seems elusive, a trailblazing 23-year-old student from the University of KwaZulu-Natal has developed an application designed to simplify life for everyday citizens.

CityMenderSA, a civic-tech start-up rooted in South Africa, began as a platform for community reporting but has rapidly evolved into a robust national service delivery intelligence network.

According to the app's founder, Keyuren Maharaj, CityMenderSA offers a vision of the future where communities, technology, and rapid responses are interconnected in real time.

"Service delivery fails when problems are invisible, untracked, and left without follow-through," explained Maharaj, in highlighting the necessity for transparency and accountability in local governance.

Maharaj has a rich community activism background, having served as the chair of the Glenwood Ratepayers Association as well as a board member of the eThekwini Ratepayers Association. His mission: to empower residents by creating a platform that effectively tracks municipal issues.

CityMenderSA was launched in July, inspired by the pressing need for a transparent local government interaction tool. Maharaj said: “Yes, the municipality does track issues, but we don't have access to that information. You can't simply open it and see what issues were logged today or where the issues are.”

Determined to change the status quo, he built the app from scratch with one pivotal element in mind—transparency.

“It’s incredible because the code base has grown tenfold in just seven months,” he said, reflecting on the app's evolution, which was primarily driven by constructive feedback from residents and community leaders.

“Everything that we've done has been shaped by the community,” he said in highlighting that his app was a clear distinction from other municipal applications that often served the city's requirements rather than those of its residents.

The app sets itself apart by fostering a pan-national approach; rather than being a localized tool, it aspires to cater to all South Africans, regardless of their geographical location.

“If I go to Johannesburg, I shouldn't have to download a different app, and the same goes for Cape Town,” he said.

With over 200 local municipalities in South Africa, many of which lack the resources or vision to create an effective app, Maharaj was able to provide the relevant solution.

Another standout feature of the app is its multilingual capability. Residents can log issues in Afrikaans, Zulu, or English, with plans to add three more languages in the coming months.

“Someone who speaks Zulu shouldn't have to struggle to log a pothole or report an electricity outage,” he said.

CityMenderSA was also designed for low-connectivity areas, allowing users to log faults without mobile data—ensuring that no one is left behind.

The app is readily accessible on both Apple and Android platforms and operates seamlessly across devices. Users can access it via app stores or opt for the web interface, which allows community organisations to log faults directly from their laptops.

“Everything is interconnected,” Maharaj said.

According to Maharaj, this new model is designed for public-private collaboration, which is where the real test of the system was now unfolding in Durban’s inner city.

CityMenderSA has partnered with Ensure Security, which is operating South Africa’s first real-time digital operations centre for service delivery in the Durban CBD.

“The initiative forms part of an Inner City Regeneration Programme being rolled out in collaboration with eThekwini Municipality.

"The operations centre brings together live community reports, ward-level intelligence and on-the-ground response teams in one digital environment,” Maharaj said.

He said it was for the first time, private operators, communities and municipal structures were working from the same real time data set.

DAILY NEWS