Have you ever pondered the significance of a monument by the roadside? Perhaps you have stopped in a town on a road trip and wondered where the town's points of interest were. Travellers once used guidebooks and maps, but those days are long gone thanks to apps such as the Road Trip SA app.

By collaborating with Emile Coetzee, a North-West University (NWU) historian, South African company Value Apps Pty Ltd developed this app to help travellers explore the fascinating and mysterious places of interest throughout southern Africa.

As part of his community engagement responsibilities, Emile has been instrumental in recognising and refining some 3 000 listings that are already on the app.

He has a strong background in history, museology and tourist guiding, and was once one of South Africa's youngest national tourist guides. Emile has several degrees and publications in the field of history and uses his extensive knowledge to locate these heritage sites so that users can learn more about their cultural background and make better use of the app.

“Various South African places of interest, or heritage sites, are neatly listed in the Road Trip SA App, with photos, nonpartisan text explaining their history and relevance, and their exact location so you can find them easily. This feature makes exploring the local area easier and more enjoyable,” says Emile.

Its database is constantly updated, making it a great resource for history, tourism, and heritage management students; even high school students can benefit from the information provided. Additionally, it encourages domestic tourism, so South Africans and visitors from other countries can discover interesting places.

All you need to do is download the app from either Google Play (for Android users) or iStore (for Apple users). Whether you start in your hometown or on one of our NWU campuses, this app is the perfect way to get to know South Africa's heritage better. Download it today!

Use this QR code to download the app from the Google Playstore.

Use this QR code to download the app from the Apple iStore.

Listen to Emile Coetzee explaining how the Road Trip SA App works.