MTN to launch messenger service

[BusinessTech]

MTN to launch messenger service

MTN will launch a new instant messaging platform, the group announced at it’s financial results presentation for the year ended December 2018, on Wednesday (7 March).

 

[UrBaN963]

So:

MTN will launch a new instant messaging platform, the group announced at it’s financial results presentation for the year ended December 2018, on Wednesday (7 March).

Group CEO Rob Shuter said the IM service would form part of the company’s mobile money portfolio and aims to function as the “WeChat of Africa”, enabling mobile payments for the unbanked and underbanked.

The company plans to launch the platform, its own music streaming service, and an improved mobile money offering.

“We have built our own instant messaging platform which has been in beta testing for months now,” Shuter said.

“It will begin launching across our operational markets this year, starting with two West African markets.”

When it comes to taking on applications like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger in South Africa, Shuter said MTN’s platform will offer communication channels which are not only reliant on data.

“First and foremost, we are building in SMS integration into the messaging app. This is really important,” he said.

The integration of SMS will allow data-enabled 3G customers to converse with non-data customers across a seamless messaging platform.

Localisation and integration
“This will be an important differential between existing apps and the platform we are building, especially as the penetration of data customers increases in our market,” Shuter said.

At first glance it doesn't make sense as a new messenger app, but the online payment integration and ability to chat with non-data customers is a boon for the lower income (though it should just be zero-rated really).