South African classified publication Junk Mail’s mobile platform X has won the International Classifieds Media Association (ICMA) Innovation Award after being selected as the only non-European finalist.
Junk Mail defeated eight finalists selected from more than 70 companies from 32 countries.
Aimed at mobile users without computer access, Junk Mail’s X platform is particularly popular in the urban areas of South Africa.
Boasting more than 10 million downloads of classified listings, Junk Mail advertisements generate “hundreds of thousands every month” in responses, the company told News24.
HumanIPO reported earlier this year on South African chat app Mxit’s partnership with Junk Mail.
As the Junk Mail Xchange (JMX) has 30,000 placed ads per week, this Mxit-based addition also contributed to its success.
Sarah Rice, vice president of communications at Mxit, said: “Junk Mail X is an excellent demonstration of the power and reach of the mobile and it’s so wonderful to see Junk Mail’s integration of mobile into their print and web strategies being recognised and rewarded.”
According to Felix Erken, managing editor at Junk Mail, Nigerian market penetration is the next step as the media company deems it a “key African market.”
