At the beginning of 2020, news of the COVID-19 virus broke in South Africa, and the country recorded its first positive case. The president of the country then announced a complete lockdown of the country, including Level 5 lockdown restrictions. This lockdown meant that people were not allowed to leave their homes, and certain restrictions applied. However, these restrictions were often unclear and confusing, leading to a need for an app that would explain them clearly while also providing regular updates on COVID-19 cases and news in South Africa.
Seeing this gap in the market, I decided to build an app that would address this need using React Native. As I was stuck at home during the lockdown, I was able to focus my entire day on the project, and within a week, the app was ready to launch. However, I held back on launching the app, thinking that the lockdown would end soon and that the need for such an app would disappear. In hindsight, I realized that COVID-19 was here to stay, and I should have launched the app despite my initial hesitation.
Building this app taught me many valuable lessons, including the importance of staying up-to-date with current events and trends, as well as the need to be agile and adaptable in the face of unexpected challenges. It also highlighted my ability to work independently and creatively to develop solutions that meet real-world needs.
In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique opportunity for me to build an app that met the needs of people during a difficult time. Although I didn’t launch the app when I should have, the experience taught me valuable lessons that have helped me in my career as a web developer.
