Durban Student Creates South Africa’s First Service Delivery App to Hold Municipalities Accountable

Tired of potholes, burst pipes, and endless excuses, a 23-year-old mechanical engineering student from Durban has taken matters into his own hands. Keyuren Maharaj, a University of KwaZulu-Natal student, has created what he calls South Africa’s first-ever service delivery app CityMenderSA a digital tool designed to bridge the communication gap between frustrated residents and local municipalities.

The app aims to do what call centres, emails, and complaints never could: make service delivery issues visible, traceable, and public.

From Everyday Frustration To A National Solution

Like many South Africans, Keyuren grew up surrounded by familiar frustrations potholes that never get fixed, leaking pipes left for weeks, and flickering streetlights ignored by local councils. But for him, the lack of accountability was the real problem.

“Reports were being made, but there was no transparency or follow-up,” he told East Coast Radio. “There was no way for the community to hold anyone responsible.”

That moment of frustration sparked an idea. What if there was a single, easy-to-use platform that allowed residents to log, track, and publicly monitor every reported issue? And so, CityMenderSA was born.

How CityMenderSA Works

The app is as practical as it is powerful. Users can report a problem from potholes to broken traffic lights by uploading a photo and short description. In seconds, the app generates a reference number and sends the report to the relevant municipality.

But here’s the clever part: the issue also appears on a public map, visible to anyone who opens the app. This creates a transparent digital trail, making it harder for local governments to ignore or delay action.

“It’s about visibility and accountability,” Keyuren explained. “If everyone can see that a report was made and nothing’s been done, then the pressure to act becomes real.”

Engineering Meets Civic Responsibility

Though he’s studying mechanical engineering, Keyuren’s project blends technical knowledge with a deep sense of civic purpose. He taught himself coding to build the app and credits his engineering background for helping him think systematically about real-world problems.

He first presented the idea to the eThekwini Ratepayers and Residents Association, which represents more than 50 community organisations. Feedback from that session helped refine the app into something user-friendly enough for anyone even an 80-year-old to use.

Beyond academics, Keyuren’s involvement in school leadership roles, cycling, and sailing clubs reveals his strong sense of community and determination to see his ideas benefit others.

A Glimpse Of Hope For Local Governance

South Africans have long complained about collapsing infrastructure and a lack of accountability from local municipalities. While CityMenderSA may not fix every pothole overnight, it represents something more powerful a new generation of innovators using technology to demand better governance.

If successful, the app could transform how citizens and municipalities interact, turning frustration into action and ensuring no report disappears into silence again.

“CityMenderSA is not just an app,” Keyuren said. “It’s a way for communities to finally be heard.”

{Source:Briefly}

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