GovChat, the South African civic engagement technology platform, has announced a partnership with the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) to support the digitisation of the COVID-19 social relief grant application process. The partnership with GovChat could enable millions of unemployed citizens to access the largest social security programme on the African continent directly from their mobile devices. GovChat’s platform – accessed through WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, SMS and USSDchannels – is said to provide a secure application portal for pre-qualifying citizens, automating filling, verification and applicant assessment. The automation of processes, using the GovChat artificial intelligence tools, enhances the agency’s productivity and allows them to respond to more application...
