Local Football updates startup, FootballZone, has announced the launch of its Afcon 2013 mobile app that went live in the Nokia Ovi Store last week. According to FootballZone cofounder, Godwin Chiparaushe, soccer fans in Africa will now be able to follow the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations on their phones via the app.
The app, which can be installed on al Nokia feature phones and smartphones provides live text commentary for all matches, group standings, fixtures, match results, full team profiles and detailed tournament statistics for the tournament.
Africa’s biggest soccer showcase, the Africa Cup of Nations kicks on Saturday 19 January in South Africa. According to FootballZone, the live commentary feature will be quite useful as fans will be able to follow matches on the go wherever they are. This they say is useful as many of the group matches start at 1700hrs when people are traveling home from work.
FootballZone is one of the 3 winners of last year ZOL Jumpstart Challenge, a tech startup competition held annually for Zimbabwean startups by Jumpstart.
We caught up with Chiparaushe to get more information about the app and below is our brief QnA with him:
TZ: When you say any Nokia phone, you obviously mean those on the net.
Godwin: Yes from feature phones to smart phones that can access net
TZ: Why Nokia? Why exclude everyone else?
Godwin: Well the plan was to have for all platforms including android and Samsung as well as the iOS and BlackBerry but finances and resources wise, it was too much. It takes time coz to get an app on and well run. It takes time and efficiency.
TZ: What about just bypassing OSs and delivering via SMS and other basic technologies?
Godwin: We did think of that and the plan was to do via MNOs and we were working on that. But we could not get a deal in place with the MNOs. We will be doing that possibly by coming season.
At the end of the day when finances and resources were an issue we decided to pursue the most popular handsets in Africa and initially we wanted to do Nokia and Samsung but we only managed Nokia.
TZ: What has been the growth of visitors and engagement so far on the website?
Godwin: It’s stabilised due to the local league being off season and has not been exponentially increasing like it was but with Afcon about to start we have been focusing on that and there is more interest there.
TZ: And you are targeting more than just Zim with Afcon content on the site as well as the Mobile App?
Godwin: Yes and it’s been doing okay. Our bias is local but we tend to cover continental and international we were really wishing Zim would have qualified.
TZ: How okay has it been doing?
Godwin: We average about 300 downloads per day. It’s been up for about a week and a half and we actually have had a total of 6,900 downloads 4,300 from Nokia Store & 2600 from Opera Store. We are doing a lot of SEO and it seems its helping a lot. Just sharing on African football pages as well.
TZ: What have been some of the challenges you have faced with your startup so far?
Godwin: World over it’s so difficult to begin and run a successful startup but in Zim it’s even harder. There are so many circumstances against you; finance is an issue, and the corporate world just does not want to engage u because you are an unknown startup even when the benefits to them are crystal clear. Chances of succeeding are drastically reduced. However we are determined to succeed and that’s not going to stop us we are on our way despite the circumstances.
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32 comments
To those also looking to make “apps” http://xpresswebapps.nokia.com/
Taura hako. And they forgot Android, iOS and BB.
ko e250? waisiyirei ne ma Zhing phone 🙂
Forgot? He didn’t say that, here is what he said if you missed that part:
TZ: Why Nokia? Why exclude everyone else?
Godwin: Well the plan was to have for all platforms including android and Samsung as well as the iOS and BlackBerry but finances and resources wise, it was too much.
People why do you jus want to be negative, maybe you didn’t even use the app yet
I wont be using the app, didnt even know there was an Afcon didnt jump or pee my pants when I heard about it a few ago still 🙂
He mentions of the expense to make a crossplartform app and our point is its cheaper to make a mobi-site than to make an app. A bookmarked mobisite could be bookmarked into a webapp within a matter of seconds and adding metag tags. SIMPLE
People that negate you often most likely care sir.
Sorry missed that part. I am not negative at all but of all my friends, relatives and enemies only a paltry 5% use a Nokia that can dwnload and install an App? Get it now? The majority r on android, BB and a few on iOS and some also on those non-android samsungs and other chinese phones…
Why waste time on platforms that combined account for less than 10%
of phones in Africa. This is Africa where Nokia rules! These guys made a
sound decision made on solid research and not just hype from whats happening in the West.
Do u mind sharing the source of your statistics?
And do u also mind showing up your “face”, why hide behind a pseudo name?
Here are the numbers for Africa mobile market: Nokia 60.9%, Samsung 20.3%, Sony Ericson 6.3%, LG 3.4%, BLACKBERRY 3%, Others 6.1% (including Android & the overrated iPhone!)
Your source please????
http://www.extremetech.com/mobile/87512-nokia-rules-africa
Show me ur face please, I want to kindly put my palm on your face sir.
You are refereing to an article written on June 22, 2011 at 9:44 am
And in the world some of us are now living its after January 16 17:02
That is exactly 575 days, 7 hours, 19 minutes and 42 seconds .
Kindly present your face sir!
And look at your source…some other techie site somewhere on Earth which contains very incorrect info. How can u honestly blv that “…Of the smartphone market Nokia’s Symbian OS has an 85% share….”
What smartphones does nokia have? 85% of smartphones in Africa are Nokias? Really????
Dead spots? It’s just a week so far and 6900 downloads means people like it. Well that’s your opinion an app is much better than mobi site, let’s not just be negative
Whats with the assumptions? I’m not being negative Im kindly giving advice. I would have kept quiet and I still would have had another cup of coffee without needing an Africans Cup of soccer app lol.
6900 dont think thats a number to pull down pants and run naked on in serious terms. They should just make a Mobi site and capture a bigger chunk of the market. There is even more potential considering Nokia isnt that much of a hmmm not knowing the stats but largely as used anymore. They have a massive potential ! their need to make an App instead of a mobi-site is whats staffing them up.
Negative assumptions? No you can’t give advice on the app you’ve never used and it’s only a week – what advice? Try a mobi site?
Yes they can try the mobi site if they think it’s a good idea but assuming they are pushing themselves into a dead spot is being negative when you haven’t even used the app.
I think they mentioned why it’s on Nokia only at the moment.
You believe in mobi sites, that’s right but it shouldn’t discourage people to develop apps
I dont believe in mobi-sites I have no belief 🙂
I have outlined why I ddnt try the app in clear bold letters. I have outlined why I think they should look into a mobi-site. I have accepted that I should not give advice. I have denied your idea of my beliefs. I still insist they could do better with a Mobi-site and thats not Advice.
Discourage ouh bouy look were you are taking this?
Wow awesome, well done FootballZone I am definately going to download the app. It’s just a week so far and 6900 downloads so far means people like it.
If I had a nokia I would comment, the idea personally doesnt apeal to me. I’m not a socer fan by any chance. Not be negative, the number of Downloads doesnt mean people like it. It means people find the need to use it. In marketing terms those are two diffrent things.
Review show “people like it” positive reviews “means people like it”. Now go ye therefore and test and review for us 🙂
Yes it’s better that way rather get the app and give positive criticism, and you are right in saying personally. Whatever terminology you might want to use but the fact is if you find the need to use the app then someone(the app developer) had a good idea coz he/she is meeting your need i.e if you are a soccer fan.
Yes I shall test and do the review
Im not giving and CRITICISM !!!!!! la la la la maybe I should sing it to your folks. Its not even Positive or negetive Its just a runt!
I’m just advising and suggesting to them something that will work and cut their costs!
Criticise a mobile App I will never use. That would be a waste of my life. Im advising on how to solve their financial constraints while covering a larger market.
Wow! Some really interesting comments,thanks for all the feedback appreciate it really even the negative sounding ones.Please do download and test the app and even give a review afterwards I think that would be good.
We do have a main website by the way http://www.footballzone.co.zw that is optimised for mobile use as well
.Since AFCON was a special tournament we decided to release an AFCON app to add to to our product offering and see how it would perform and quite frankly its done well more than what we expected and we anticipating even more success in terms of downloads and subsequent revenue.
Ideally we would have loved to support all platforms but various constraints meant that did not happen,so we had to settle for Nokia after realising it was the most popular phone in Zimbabwe and Africa (at that time the Zim national team was in with a chance of qualification to the tournament ) .
thanks again for the comments!
Consider making an app for biNu; where not only will you be able to access almost 200,000 local Users, but also you have a potential of monetising it.
I have got one under development, will surely set my eyes on the Zim market as well…
Any luck with this product as yet? Interested to have a look or to discuss…
Not yet William…my developer is very very slow….Do you know any BiNu developers in Zim or anywhere in the world?
Check your inbox…
Good move and maybe more accessible to the masses IFF ovi rules in terms of market share. Nokia may be the most popular amongst feature phones in Zim but Ovi adoption maybe another entirely different statistic.
I do understand the explanation on cost and effort required to create across all platforms. As a beginning, its a good beginning. Keep going!
Thanks hey,and yes we will keep going!!!
Well Done…but maface dai mangoshingirira neAndroid version