After a month-long build-up the new Maties App was launched on Monday, 15 August.

The app, which originated in the Recreation and Active Lifestyles Unit (RALU) situated within Maties Sport, aims to improve communication with students.

It was developed with the assistance of the Division for Information Technology.

At the moment, its focus is mainly on sport-related events but the long-term plan is to include all university-related events.

Ilhaam Groenewald, Chief Director: Maties Sport, believes it is important for campus to have an app like this one.

"We need to communicate with students about things that are relevant to them on a platform they use and we know that students like their phones."

For Maties Sport, it is important to attract people to sport events and for people to attend an event, they need to know about it.

After you download the Maties App (it is available on iOS as well as Android), it will give you the option to sign in, see what's on, add events to your calendar, show whether you are interested in or attending an event and finally, the option to check in at an event.

All headings are available in three languages: Afrikaans, English and isiXhosa.

Other features included having access to fan pages, seeing logs of inter-cluster events and having an image of your student card on your cell phone, although it can't be used for official purposes yet.

Kiran Maharaj, joint team leader of RALU, says part of the long-term plan is to include an official version of the student card.

"Students might lose their student cards but they are less likely to lose their phones!"

In future, the university would be able to send emergency notifications to students via the app, informing them of potential hazards or problems. Students will be able to choose whether they would like to receive other push notifications, but everyone will receive emergency notifications.

Download the Maties App from the App Store or Google Play Store.