Marlon introduced the Mxit platform – here are the quick facts: Mxit has over 50 million users making it world’s 9th largest social network, and the largest in Africa. It started in South Africa in 2005 initially spreading virally as a free messaging platform. Since then a lot of other applications have also been developed based on it, for example apps providing information, entertainment, counceling, communication, education. However, Mxit is not yet widely adopted in East Africa: Tanzania has about 25 000 Mxit users and for example Kenya about 100 000. This is something they are looking to change.
Marlon is the head of Mxit Reach, Mxit’s social arm, where they are focusing on apps with social impact in education, health & safety, economic development and advocacy. Related to this, Marlon introduced an exciting challenge for Tanzanian developers: to develop a social or social business app using Mxit especially for Tanzania. It needs to be a team effort (min. 2 people), submitted by 31st July 2012, and they asking you share the development experience with Mxit.
The winner of the challenge will get:
Feedback from RLabs on the app development,
Publication of your app on Mxit Reach,
1 000 000 Tanzanian shillings in cash, and
19 000 000 Tanzanian shilling worth of advertising on Mxit in East Africa.
Here are the next steps:
1) Register your developer team on code.mxit.com.
2) Submit a description of your idea to Marlon by June 10th to get feedback.
3) Submit the app by 31st July on code.mxit.com.
You can download Mxit to your mobile from m.mxit.com and all the developer tools from code.mxit.com. You can develop on Mxit using .NET SDK, Mobi Portal API and REST API. Especially with the Mobi Portal API you can get started with simple local content -based apps with html skills. Check all the details from Marlon’s presentation:
Source: TANZICT
It’s a great opportunity for us.