Tag Archives: South Africa

WeChat South Africa Helps Set World Record in Cape Town

February 17, 2016Inside WeChatSouth Africa, WeChat Gives BackWeChat

WeChat, in partnership with the Virgin Kitesurfing Armada South Africa 2016, celebrated as 416 kite surfers set a new World Record for ‘The Largest Parade of Kitesurfers’ in South Africa at the Dolphin Beach in Cape Town. In addition to the new World Record, R100 000 was raised for charity on the day.

Brett Loubser, Head of WeChat South Africa said, “We believe that technology can enable everyone to achieve their goals. As an organization committed to connecting friends and families, we are pleased that our technology could be used to connect these communities and to also support them in the achievement of their dreams”

WeChat Invests R50 million Seed Fund in African Tech Startups

December 8, 2015NewsSouth Africa, WeChat LifestyleWeChat

WeChat South Africa, Brett Loubster WeChat is investing R50 million in tech companies supporting local talents and innovations.

The fund will be used to identify and support tech-enabled businesses by assisting with rapid market access using the WeChat platform. Access to markets was listed as one of the biggest inhibitors to growth for tech-enabled businesses, in the recent Emerging Companies survey conducted by PWC and Silicon Cape.

To coordinate the initiative, tech strategy practice firm, Batstone, has been appointed by WeChat Africa to source and coordinate its early stage investment opportunities.

Brett Loubser, head of WeChat Africa says, ”Our fund aims to provide financial support to businesses so that they can effectively get on the WeChat platform. This will include technical integration and communications tactics across the Naspers’ stable and other suited channels.”

South Africa Launches the WeChat Wallet, Your Mobile Payment Solution

November 25, 2015NewsSouth Africa, WeChat Pay, WeChat WalletWeChat

WeChat has extended its features in South Africa with the introduction of the WeChat Wallet, a digital wallet service. Like a physical wallet, you can securely store your bank cards and make instant cash payments within WeChat with the new feature.

With WeChat Wallet, users can electronically send cash to friends and family, just like handing cash to a friend to get you lunch or pay for coffee or a drinks at the bar. You can now use up to three chip and PIN debit or credit cards in the WeChat Wallet. Transactions through the cards are verified by Visa and MasterCard security systems, can be saved in the WeChat Wallet.

Cards linked to the wallet can also be used to Cash In and increase your wallet’s cash balance, pay for services on WeChat such as airtime, data, electricity, food or pay SnapScan merchants. People can Cash In and Cash Out at Standard Bank ATMs, participating retailers, including SPAR, SPAR Tops and Cambridge Food Stores.

In addition, cash can be sent to friends via WeChat – even without the need for a bank account. When registering for the WeChat Wallet, users automatically become Standard Bank Instant Money users, which allows those without bank accounts to enjoy the benefits of the platform. Instant Money vouchers make up the cash balance, which can be topped up via Standard Bank self-service channels.

People can also Cash In and Cash Out via Instant Money Vouchers at Standard Bank ATMs and participating retailers, including SPAR, Cambridge, Rhino and Choppies Stores.

Get in the Game with A.S. Roma on WeChat

November 17, 2015Inside WeChatItaly, Official Accounts, South AfricaWeChat

Soccer season is heating up and we know you’re sitting at the edge of your seats. So we’ve partnered with A.S. Roma to create an Official Account that keeps you up to date on the latest from the club.

By following either the English/Italian or Chinese Official Account, you’ll be able to receive daily club news, watch exclusive videos, share photos, and listen to Roma Radio. The highlight of the Official Account is a new fan prediction game.

Prediction Game

Before each A.S. Roma game, fans are able to predict the outcome of 15 individual events. They are then awarded between 100-1,000 points for each correct prediction with the highest point earners making it to the top of the leaderboard. The 15 predictions, which range from guessing the half-time score to how many penalties may occur in a game, are split between pre-game, in-game and at half-time.

picup – South African Courier Service Now Available on WeChat

June 27, 2015Inside WeChatSouth Africa, WeChat and BrandsWeChat

WeChat has partnered with picup, a new goods collection and delivery service that removes the stress involved with traditional courier services. Technology is increasingly connecting our online and offline worlds, and by launching on WeChat, picup is doing exactly this.

Picup turns your mobile phone into a handy delivery remote control, switching your online order into a real-world delivery. Through this innovative service, customers have access to a courier service that is efficient, accessible and simple to use.

CliffCentral Turns One On WeChat

May 11, 2015Inside WeChat, Product / FeaturesOfficial Accounts, South Africa, WeChat and BrandsWeChat

One year ago, we took a big step in our mission and launched CliffCentral on WeChat. It has been an exciting journey since then, and we’ve accomplished more than we could have imagined. As we celebrate CliffCentral’s first year, we can’t help but to reflect on all of their amazing achievements.

In 12 short months, CliffCentral has amassed more than 131,000 followers on WeChat, and more than three million podcast downloads. With CliffCentral’s growing popularity, it’s now even easier to join the CliffCentral team. WeChatters can instantly tune into the revamped CliffCentral Official Account (OA) on WeChat, and easily search and discover podcasts and the Msg2Show options. Read More CliffCentral Turns One On WeChat >>

Microjobbing with M4JAM on WeChat

March 2, 2015Inside WeChat, NewsOfficial Accounts, South Africa, WeChat and BrandWeChat

Everyone could use extra cash and WeChat’s recent strategic investment in M4JAM (Money for Jam), a microjobbing service, will help you do exactly that.

Launched in August 2014, M4JAM has grown quickly in South Africa through its promise of ‘Easy Work. Easy Money’ and is now preparing to expand globally. Andre Hugo, co-founder and Chief Jammer at M4JAM, says they are ready to focus on creating even more jobs across different sectors globally with the support of WeChat.

“With the opportunity to earn extra cash and supplement their incomes, our jobbers are strongly invested in our platform, providing real insights, in real-time and solving real business issues for companies. This begs the question of brands – can we afford not to be on-board?” Hugo says.

How Does it Work?

The jobber’s quality of work determines their M4JAM’s jobber rankings. A higher rank helps to get higher paying jobs, leading to more extra cash.

Roar! Dinosaurs Come Alive on WeChat

February 16, 2015Inside WeChatOfficial Accounts, South Africa, WeChat and BrandsWeChat

WeChat is once again proving how it can bring the on and offline worlds together, by taking on the world of exhibitions in South Africa. The Dinos Alive Play Park, with dinosaur rides, animatronic dinosaurs and educational opportunities for children, has integrated a WeChat OA into the experience to change the way consumers engage with exhibitions. Visitors can receive all the information they need to know about the event in one central location on their mobile phones – simply by logging on to WeChat and following the DinosAlive official account.

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