MZANZI TAXI
Interaction Design Project - Student Project
The South African Taxi industry is considered one of the most important industries in South Africa, transporting a staggering 15 million people each day across the nation.
The concept of Mzanzi Taxi developed from an idea to find a fun, interactive and intuitive way to put people in the shoes of the average South African Taxi diver with the aim to create awareness and appreciation for the daily struggles these people go through. The final product also aimed to provide an educational as well as financial component in aid of the SA National Taxi Council, i.e. in-app purchases or advertising space.
The game is typically targeted at the “Proudly South African”, Technologically savvy generation X & Y, those that find pride in building a positive South African future free of racial divide.
App functionality
Mzanzi Taxi follows the gameplay of a typical 'runner game' where one is required to avoid obstacles by swiping left or right and collecting coins along the way. Points add up based on the time spent on the road without making an accident. Coins can however be used to repair a damaged taxi and continue the game. Blaring music, loud sirens and the occasional pothole make it increasingly difficult to stay focused and avoid collision.
The city landscape provides ample opportunity for proudly South African companies to buy advertising space and have their brand displayed on the billboards visible on the side of the road. Moreover, future developments would also include "pimp-my-taxi" features that would allow players to customise their taxis using the Mzanzi coins collected in the game or purchased from the respective app store. All proceeds would then go to the SA National Taxi Council.
Thank you for watching!
