Gauteng Tourism’s travel app, the Gauteng Travel Guide, is undergoing a complete re-design with a new look, new features, updated content and an enhanced user experience.

The latest version is expected to be available in app stores from the end of July. It will offer users the most up-to-date information on more than 500 points of interest in Gauteng, such as attractions, nature reserves, historic sites, hotels, bars, clubs and shopping malls. It will also offer in-app mini guides of Soweto and other areas of interest.

Francesco Stemmet, project manager at Tourism Radio, developer of the app, says this latest version also introduces one-touch functionality, making the app easier to use. “In the app’s previous incarnation, users had to touch three different buttons to access information about one place of interest. Now users just connect to a point of interest with a single tap.”

The latest version is more visual, with bigger images, and is also more advertiser-friendly, with multiple in-app advertising screens.

A new blog button will enable users to access Gauteng Tourism press releases and blogs from within the app, which will also have new sharing functionality, with users able to share information on any of their social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Whatsapp.

Initially the app will only be available on IOS and Android platforms with updated versions for iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets. A Microsoft Windows-enabled version will be available by year-end.