South African online rewards platform, Zlto has been rewarding young South Africans for practising good hygiene and trying to support themselves through the crisis. The platform was developed in 2016 to help the youth earn an income for volunteering, learning and doing good. Allan van der Meulen came up with the idea after attending an RLabs workshop.
“Growing up in the Cape Flats, youth unemployment is a huge problem. Many people feel there is no alternative and for a long time, that is what I thought,” said Van der Meulen. After the workshop, he realized that young people are not lazy, they simply lack the opportunities needed to turn their lives around.
The online platform can be easily accessed from any entry-level smartphone. Users who register for free on the platform can perform certain tasks to gain currency, which they can exchange for electricity, airtime, Shoprite goods and transport money. They can also access free courses on health, hygiene, life-skills and learn how to manage money.
Through the ‘Stay Home, Keep Safe’ initiative, the young people were rewarded for tasks such as washing their hands, cleaning their homes and caring for loved ones. They are also rewarded for applying for government’s R350 Social Relief of Distress Grant.
“We realised many of our young people had little to do. We created tasks that would prevent COVID-19 spread such as adding the government’s Covid-19 WhatsApp number and washing or sanitising your hands daily,” explained Van der Meulen.
