Ways to stay connected during isolation

For many the only form of interaction with friends and family is through screen time. Skype or WhatsApp video calls have become the norm and most businesses use digital paltforms to communicate with staff.

There are a number of apps that South Africans are using to stay in touch and stay connected during lockdown. Here are some favourites courtesy of MTN:

For Work

Zoom: A favourite video conferencing platform, Zoom can be used for meetings, audio conferencing, webinars, and meeting recordings. The first 40 minutes of chatting are free and there are great features like virtual backgrounds and “touch up your appearance”.

Slack: This is a chat app for your company that you can use to replace email and collaborate better. You can use channels for group discussions or have one-on-one chats and share files and documents

Yammer: This is a private social network for your company that will help you to connect with people and teams. It allows users to create public groups and private groups, share ideas, files, videos and more – essentially enabling employees to create a social space to connect and work.

Basecamp: This is another very effective productivity app which helps you organise projects and teams in one place, segment a project into many portions and assign tasks to each team member.

Skype: This is still one of the most loved and used platforms for personal and business communication, via chat, and voice and video calls. Users can also share files, images and documents.

For Play

Houseparty: This video app allows for up to eight people to join. There are fun filters and sound effects, and users can play games such as Heads Up and Quick Draw!

Netflix Party: This app lets you watch Netflix with your friends and family online. It synchronises video playback and adds group chat to the show you want to watch.

Audible: Part of Amazon, Audible has released hundreds of free audiobooks for children.

Free museum tours and exhibits: Travel the world from your couch as museums and cultural institutions around the world offer free virtual tours, exhibits, videos and performances.

Yuppiechef Online Cooking School: Get unrestricted access to all online cooking school courses, which include video tutorials, course notes, guides and quizzes, all worth more than R3 000.

SuperCook App and Fridge Food app: Find easy to follow recipe ideas from items already in your fridge or cupboard. So, no need to go to the shops.

What If: Ask your family and friends a set of challenging questions to keep connected during lockdown – and maybe even get to know each other a little better. There are 100 000 questions on the app to challenge you and pass the time. Some questions are personal, others could spark debate amongst the members of your lockdown household.

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