Digital Mapping Services Save South Africa Billions Each Year

With the continuous evolution of digital technologies, different countries around the world are constantly improving their economic status to bring prosperity and growth. Digital mapping or digital geospatial is one of those roaring services.

Digital mapping is a process where the collected data is accumulated and formatted into a virtual image, in the form of a digital map such as Google Map. The major function of digital mapping is to generate maps to give accurate information regarding the particular area, the location of a business and detailing road arteries. In short, it is a new-generation mapping technology that is getting popular with each passing day.

From last few years, the digital mapping services have drastically bolstered up the environmental and economic footings of developed countries like South Africa.

A recent study conducted by a marketing research firm AlphaBeta shows that digital mapping services provide around R50-billion annual benefits to the South African consumers each year. The research clearly quantified the economic benefits of digital mapping services in South Africa.

The report also revealed that South African users save around 100 million hours per year – all thanks to efficient and informative digital maps on Google, helping people to take online purchasing decisions quickly. This saved time amounts to R5 billion depending on local wage rates. Moreover, it is expected that consumers are getting around R50 billion annual benefits via digital maps.

Economic Impact of Digital Mapping Services in SA

The digital tools like Google maps have been contributing a lot to the South African economy. From time management to emergency response to business exposure, digital mapping services are giving impeccable opportunities to improve the overall economy of the nation.

1. Contributing to greater success

In today’s tech-savvy world, businesses are driving towards automation services either to track their customer’s interactions or to create more efficient and effective operations. With the aim to expand marketing reach, South African businesses have generated profits from digital mapping services.

According to the report, digital maps have contributed around R456-billion in sales for both small and large businesses. Digital tymaps allow them to build a strong customer base by providing informative facts such as contact details, customer reviews and opening hours to their potential web customers.

Below are some great features of digital mapping services helping businesses in South Africa to generate higher sales:

Geographic searches

Digital maps let web users search business locations on the go. The best part is that the geographic search is based on a polygon, drive time and radius.

With the help of the digital mapping services, companies are setting up businesses in the top locations in South Africa to give easy access to their customers. If you are looking for a well-established business in the capital of Johannesburg, then Gauteng is an ideal location. The best part is that there are many profit-generating businesses for sale in Gauteng to help you grow across the nation.

Sales territory creation and management

Generate sales accountability by communicating profit-generating sales expectations and results.

Collaborative map editing

It allows you to create cross-functional map editing temps to solve issues related to business via digital mapping services.

2. Improves Environment

The report also shows that digital mapping services are improving the entire environment of the nation. This cutting-edge technology is making the world greener and healthier place to live. Digital maps are encouraging users to have more efficient and time-saving vehicle rides, which automatically reduced congestion and pollution – a good way to make an environment healthier.

Even the emergency response times have been reduced by 20 % - improved the rate of saved lives in South Africa.

Apart from this, businesses are leveraging GPS and automated vehicle location systems to save time, resources and collect precise data in a breeze. Here, resources are saved; utilization of electricity has been reduced and also encouraged the people to leverage innovative yet efficient mapping technology.

3. Leverage tangible advantages

According to the public policy and government relationship manager at Google South Africa Fortune Sibanda, digital mapping services drive more powerful features to make your life easier. It has benefitted both the businesses and consumers in many ways.

Fortune Sibanda said that “Digital Maps have become powerful tools for policymakers to ensure the safety of their citizens, and for companies and consumers to save time and money when managing their daily affairs.”

He also said that “We discovered that geospatial services not only make life easier – by helping people turn their intentions of finding a place into actions of getting there – but also support the global economy by creating tangible benefits for businesses and consumers,”.

It means the tool has more than encouraging people to search locations via Google and other digital mapping software but also boosting the scope for taking corporate and education sector to the higher level.

In a nutshell, we can say that digital mapping proved itself as one of the powerful tools that helped South African to save billions each year. Both the businesses and consumers benefitted from this advanced tool and also contributed in boosting the overall economy of the country.

Fun fact

Google report clearly shows that over 1 billion of people use Google Maps to discover, find and explore new locations, businesses and areas around their world. Besides this, one third of all mobile searches are based on the location.

The best part is that location-based mobile searches are growing with an increasing rate with every passing year.

Analysis of the economic impact of digital mapping services

The main objective behind AlphaBeta report was to provide transparent and rigorous assessment of the economic impact of digital mapping services across the nation. The report has clearly revealed that South Africans benefitted from digital mapping services with R50-billion each year. It is a great achievement for the new-age business leaders and web consumers in South Africa.

Note: All the information included in the report is derived by AlphaBeta based on the information generated from consumer surveys and proprietary research.