- The Gauteng ePanic Button app is likely the fastest way residents can reach authorities for help during emergencies, but is barely being downloaded.
- Less than one percent of residents in Gauteng have downloaded the app.
- Around 51 000 residents have used the ePanic Button to call for help during an emergency since it was launched.
Officially activated in July 2024, though available to download since May 2023, the Gauteng ePanic Button app, made in partnership with AURA, the company behind the Namola safety app, in order to aid the residents of the province with violent crime and other emergencies, was the subject of an extensive rollout by the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG).
As of April 2025, GPG says that the app was downloaded over 100 000 which is still only a drop of water in the ocean of people in South Africa’s most-populous province and is about 0.66 percent.
It is possible that another portion of users received the app “physically” via an electronic device but we’re not sure if this version has all the features included, like GPS tracking.
According to the provincial government, more than 51 000 residents have used the ePanic Button app since its launch to call for help during emergencies, which means that more than half of everyone that has downloaded the app has needed to use it.
Officially, the turnaround time for an ambulance or police to reach a person who has pressed the panic button is between seven to 10 minutes.
“The most common incidents where people have been assisted includes motor vehicle accidents, pedestrian vehicle accidents, assaults, shooting and sexual offences,” it said.
“Furthermore, the department has started noticing calls from residents pertaining to missing persons which refers to cases of kidnapping in Gauteng.”
We tested the app and it does have a surprisingly quick response time, with the call-back happening within seconds where authorities check your status. It is likely the fastest way to reach authorities in Gauteng during an emergency, much faster than contacting the police or ambulance services directly.
One of the drawbacks of the app is also one of its best features, as it constantly requires location data from your mobile phone which is privacy issue, but this location data allows Gauteng authorities to find you if you push the panic button through the provincial command centre, which is also the province’s CCTV surveillance hub.
Users will have to weigh up whether this is a problem or not, but they can also select to switch on or off the location data depending on whether or not they need the app.
According to GPG, Johannesburg saw the most recorded incidents 21 000 callouts, Ekurhuleni with over 11 000 callouts and Tshwane with callouts over 10 000.
Residents have been helped mainly in Eldorado Park, Olievenhoutbosch, Tsakane, Cosmo City, Johannesburg Central, Daveyton, Vosloorus, Dobsonville, Meadowlands, Mohlakeng, Kwa-Thema, Alexandra, Mamelodi, and many other regions.
In January, GPG revealed that it was forced to have 3 000 teachers activate the app in order to better protect them from violent and unruly learners at the province’s most high-risk schools.
The app and its rollout has been under the stewardship of Gauteng’s Department of eGovernment, which is supposed to oversee all the digital infrastructure in the province.
“It is without a doubt that the e-panic button is making a difference in our communities,” said eGovernment head Bonginkosi Dlamini. However seeing as less than one percent of Gauteng residents have the app installed, we’re not sure how widespread this difference is.
However he is correct about something and is hoping more people download the app.
“Its effectiveness can only be acknowledged if residents download and use it in a time of need. Our team is always ready and fully capable to attend to residents when they call for help. Our turnaround time to deploy ambulances or armed response is between seven to 10 minutes,” he added.
