Huawei mobile devices will now be embedded with Rapid Response, a mobile app that transforms devices into an emergency panic button.
In a statement, the Chinese telco says the app will link users to emergency service providers.
"This innovative service mirrors our commitment to putting our customers first in all that we do," says Charlene Munilall, GM of Huawei Consumer Group South Africa.
"By offering access to the Rapid Response service, our customers will be able to receive immediate response to crime and accident emergencies."
Munilall says trials of the Rapid Response app will also be integrated with Huawei's Talkband wearable device.
According to the statement, the app will incorporate services that can make a difference in response times and the type of assistance available to someone in an emergency situation.
Using location-based services, including near-field communications technology, Rapid Response will be able to alert emergency services providers such as ER24, a contracted security company, or personal contacts that an emergency has occurred.
Commenting on the partnership, Rapid Response director Marlize Holtzhausen says: "An endorsement from a company like Huawei says a lot about our credibility and the type of change they want to see.
"Low levels of service delivery in emergency services and the high crime affecting families are two of the biggest challenges in South Africa, which will now be seen in a different light as assistance is immediately at hand."
According to Holtzhausen, dispatching emergency assistance in a timely manner is critical to ensuring the safety of people in distress, as well as minimising trauma to victims and their families.
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