Source: imanderin
The app was released on Wednesday, February 13, for Android, iOS and Windows Phone, but does not support the BlackBerry platform.
While challenging popular alternatives such as Whatsapp and Mxit, BlackBerry subscribers will have to remain satisfied with BBM as WeChat increases its focus on the African market.
BlackBerry has been reported to be the leading mobile brand in the country with 2.7 million subscribers on Vodacom network alone, according to Rapidberry in August last year, and only last month launched two new smartphones, the Q10 and Z10.
"WeChat will be competing with WhatsApp and will only be successful if everyone can get their friends to migrate," Samantha Fleming, Media Consultant for Afrosocialmedia, told News24.
The chat app shares aspects with similar services, such as BBM, in address book contact list sharing, but offers an edge with video calling abilities.
It includes a Look Around feature which can track friends through location abilities and new meetups between users via a mutual ‘shake’ option which can be switched on or off according to preference.
HumanIPO reported on prospects of a South African release as Murray International Holdings (MIH) appointed South African Brett Loubser as WeChat Africa specialist late in January.
