South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) has launched its ‘My ANC’ app nationwide ahead of the upcoming elections, a move that many are saying is a desperate trial for the party to sign up more youth and have them participate in the elections.
The nationwide launch comes after the success of its ‘My ANC Western Cape’ Mxit application, which gained more than 400 000 subscribers, the large majority of which are aged 17 to 25.
The free app is compatible to over 8000 mobile devices and is expected to help the youth actively engage with the ANC, gain access to information on service delivery, learn about ANC events, voting and registering for the 2014 elections and details of their local ward councillors. It also addresses topical issues such as unemployment and education and allows subscribers to sign up as ANC volunteers. The app claims to have already registered 8000 volunteers before its nationwide launch.
According to ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu, “The ANC continues to showcase its strong commitment to connect and engage with the South African youth. The My ANC WC Mxit application has proven to be highly successful and we are pleased to offer its benefits to the rest of the country today.”
He added that the app will help young people across the country to access and learn more about the ANC and how to vote to ensure the voice of their generation is being heard. The My ANC app is available for free via the Mxit App store. Users search ANC to find it and download.
“Mxit is a chat-focused mobile social network – and it lends itself well to brands and organisations starting a conversation and engaging with our user base,” commented Mxit CEO Francois Swart “The ANC is an example of one of these brands that use Mxit very effectively. Politics is an important conversation in South Africa – especially when it comes to the youth, who might be less engaged in the conversation happening in newspapers and other media platforms. We believe in our users’ right to be informed about everything that is relevant to them, and one of the great things about Mxit is that it is not just a one-way communication tool, users have the opportunity to engage back and have their own opinions shape the conversation.”
Mxit has over 7,3 million active users across the continent.