Customer Reviews (100)

N zwane Zwane • 2025-07-14T06:21:57.700Z

I like it a lot hey.

Sheila Marais • 2025-07-13T19:38:17.960Z

This app used to be fantastic, but it's fast becoming an irritation. We don't want any notifications not related to loadshedding. Especially irritating are the summaries of posts - make them go!

Michael Dikeni • 2025-07-13T10:20:16.950Z

it's very good 👍

ESP "EskomSePush" Loadshedding App Review Analysis

1. Summary of Key Insights

The ESP "EskomSePush" app is perceived as a valuable tool for staying informed about loadshedding in South Africa. Its core strength lies in providing timely notifications and schedules. However, recent updates introducing community chat features have significantly divided user opinion. While some appreciate the community aspect, a large segment finds it intrusive and irrelevant, leading to notification spam and a degradation of the app's original purpose. The app's overall rating is moderately positive, but the negative reviews highlight critical usability issues that need addressing. Sentiment analysis reveals a growing frustration with the shift towards a social platform, overshadowing the primary function of loadshedding alerts. The app's disclaimer regarding information accuracy is important, given some user reports of incorrect data.

Key Strengths:

  • Timely loadshedding notifications.
  • Easy access to schedules.
  • Wide coverage of areas.

Key Weaknesses:

  • Intrusive and unwanted community chat features.
  • Notification spam from chat features.
  • Reports of inaccurate loadshedding information.
  • Bugs with signing in, installation, and search functionality.
  • Ads interfering with schedule viewing.

Overall Sentiment: Mixed, leaning towards positive but with significant negative concerns.

Quantitative Metrics:

  • Overall Rating: Approximately 4.1 (weighted average).
  • 5-Star: 57%
  • 4-Star: 6%
  • 3-Star: 6%
  • 2-Star: 6%
  • 1-Star: 25%

2. Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 100 reviews
  • Time Frame: Not explicitly stated, but assumed to be recent based on the discussion of recent app updates.
  • Analysis Methods: Sentiment analysis (manual interpretation), keyword extraction (manual), frequency analysis of mentioned issues.

3. Key User Pain Points

  • Notification Spam: The most frequently mentioned issue is excessive notifications from the community chat feature, even when notifications are disabled in settings. This significantly degrades the user experience.
  • Irrelevant Content: Users complain about the chat feature being filled with irrelevant content (e.g., job requests, personal discussions) unrelated to loadshedding or local issues.
  • Inaccurate Information: Some users report that the app provides inaccurate or outdated loadshedding information for their area.
  • Bugs and Technical Issues: Several users have reported issues with signing in, installation failures, and search functionality not working correctly.
  • Intrusive Ads: Some users find the ads intrusive and that they interfere with viewing the loadshedding schedule.
  • Loss of Functionality: Users report the removal of the "delete post" option and the inability to customize notification sounds.
  • Late Notifications: Notifications arriving only an hour before loadshedding are deemed insufficient for planning.

4. Frequently Requested Features

  • Option to Disable Chat Notifications Completely: A clear and effective way to turn off all notifications related to the community chat feature.
  • Improved Moderation of Chat Content: Stricter moderation of the chat to ensure content remains relevant to loadshedding and local issues.
  • More Accurate and Timely Information: Improve the accuracy and timeliness of loadshedding schedules and notifications. Notifications at least 6-12 hours in advance.
  • Filter or Customize Chat Topics: Allow users to filter chat content based on specific topics of interest (e.g., water outages, electricity issues).
  • Return of "Delete Post" Functionality: Reintroduce the option to delete individual chat posts.
  • Bulk Delete Option: An option to delete multiple chat posts at once.
  • Working App on Older Devices: Ensure that the app is compatible with older devices, so that more users are able to access the app.

5. Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Timely Notifications: Many users appreciate the app's ability to provide timely loadshedding notifications, which helps them plan ahead.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Some users find the app easy to use and navigate (although this is contradicted by some negative reviews).
  • Community Feature (for some): A segment of users appreciate the community chat feature for sharing information and connecting with neighbors.
  • Comprehensive Coverage: The app covers a wide range of areas, including Eskom and various municipalities.
  • Helpful for Planning: The app is considered a "lifeline" for managing daily life during loadshedding.

6. Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Address Notification Spam (Critical): Implement a reliable and user-friendly option to completely disable all notifications related to the community chat feature. This is the most pressing issue affecting user satisfaction.
  • Improve Chat Moderation (Critical): Implement stricter moderation policies and tools to ensure chat content remains relevant to loadshedding and local issues.
  • Investigate Information Accuracy (Critical): Investigate and address reports of inaccurate loadshedding information. Verify data sources and implement quality control measures.
  • Fix Technical Bugs (Critical): Resolve reported bugs related to signing in, installation failures, and search functionality.

Medium Priority:

  • Enhance Notification Timing: Explore ways to provide earlier loadshedding notifications (e.g., 6-12 hours in advance) to improve user planning.
  • Introduce Chat Filtering: Implement filters to allow users to customize the chat content they see based on specific topics of interest.
  • Restore "Delete Post" Functionality: Reintroduce the option to delete individual chat posts.
  • Bulk Delete Option: Implement an option to delete multiple chat posts at once.
  • Address App Compatibility: Ensure that the app is compatible with older devices.

Low Priority:

  • Evaluate Ad Placement: Review the placement of ads to minimize interference with the user experience, particularly when viewing schedules.

7. Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Hyperlocal Community Platform Focused on Essential Services: A dedicated platform providing real-time updates and community discussions specifically for essential services like electricity, water, and infrastructure issues. This could be a paid service with verified information.
  • AI-Powered Loadshedding Prediction Tool: Develop an AI-powered tool that predicts loadshedding schedules based on historical data, weather patterns, and Eskom announcements, providing more accurate and timely forecasts.
  • Smart Home Integration for Loadshedding: Create a system that integrates with smart home devices to automatically manage power consumption during loadshedding, optimizing battery usage and essential appliance operation.

8. Trends and Observations

  • Language Preference: Most reviews are in English, with some Afrikaans.
  • Shift in Sentiment: A clear negative trend is observed among users who dislike the addition of the community chat feature.
  • Recurring Complaints: The notification spam and irrelevant chat content are consistently mentioned across multiple reviews, indicating a systemic issue.
  • Location-Specific Issues: Some users report location-specific inaccuracies in loadshedding schedules, suggesting a need for improved regional data management.

9. Conclusion

The ESP "EskomSePush" app is at a crossroads. While its core functionality of providing loadshedding information remains valuable, the introduction of the community chat feature has created a significant divide among users. The notification spam and irrelevant content associated with the chat are detracting from the app's primary purpose and negatively impacting user satisfaction. To regain user trust and maintain its position as a leading loadshedding app, the developers must prioritize addressing the issues related to the community chat feature, improve information accuracy, and resolve technical bugs. The overall recommendation is to refocus on the app's core strength – providing reliable and timely loadshedding information – and carefully consider the role of community features in a way that enhances, rather than detracts from, the user experience.

10. Original App Link

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ashwhale.sepush.eskom