Gauteng premier names new chatbot "mother of rain"

The event also saw ICT managed service provider, In2IT Technologies, launch a software bot which has been named ‘Mapula’ (‘mother of rain’ in Sesotho) by Premier David Makhura, who attended the event.

Saurabh Kumar, CEO of In2IT Technologies, said, “As the South African government looks towards new technologies that will improve and enhance services to the citizens of South Africa. Software bots will become a highly beneficial tool, providing the ability to change the way persons engage with government departments.”

Mapula combines the ease of mobile messaging with the power of AI. It presents users with new ways of engaging with an organisation and solving problems. This software bot that encompasses robotic process automation (RPA) will enable citizen services to be easily executed and will create an efficient way of integrating service tools.

Using RPA any element of operation can be automated whether it is with the client themselves or outsourced to a service provider. Thus, it gives clients a better control of operations by core team.

The Technology Innovation Conference 2018 promoted the idea that South Africa has much to showcase when it comes to technological innovation. Yet, sectors such as agriculture, mining, health, financial services, energy, government, academics and corporates still need to come together and collaborate on new ways of going forward.

“Collaboration is key when it comes to the future of technology and its role in innovation. However, South Africa not only needs to adopt new ways of doing things but importantly, ‘un-learn’ the known, therefore, breaking down the proverbial ‘silos’. Then only can sectors adopt new practices that are geared for the digital revolution,” added Kumar.