Mxit does not want to be left behind in this fast moving world of technology, and to keep up with the pace the company introduced the Mxit 7 for feature phones although it has increased functionality to cater for smart devices.

This could be a strategy to keep its name of Mxit in the mobile phone traffic as the company is currently facing competition in the emerging messaging apps.

The company said that it is part of a programme to integrate the platform with Android and BlackBerry devices within weeks, and Windows Phone smartphones in early 2014.

The Mxit7 for iOS, as said by the company, has been rebuilt for iOS7 and has features like  Doodlechat and Backdrop to make users have a good experience

The interesting thing about this App is that it features offline messages for Nokia Asha phones, group chat and focus on multimedia content.

South Africans will not have to worry about the cost of data as Mxit has ensured that it takes up the least amount of data as possible, infact I is even cheaper than the previous versions and uses less memory.

On the iPad and iPhone, the application has been written to accommodate the interface of the device and includes features like image sharing and voice chatting.

“Mxit 7 is the result of our renewed focus on offering an affordable and rich chat experience that bridges the gap between feature and smartphone users,” said Mxit CEO Francois Swart.

Mxit chief product officer Vincent Maher: “Feature phones are a massive part of the mobile market so it’s going to be a long time until we stop supporting them.  We have found a way to support feature phones without holding us back on smartphone platforms like Android and iOS.”

He added that while Mxit users have evolved to engage in chats with people known to them, though the company has run a significant education programme on online safety.

“We educate our users about etiquette and safety in chat rooms all the time. The trend is moving away from chat rooms to chats among groups of friends who know each other.”

Mxit 7 will be available on the App Store on 15 November and is available as a free download from the website.