Whatever happened to Mxit?

Updated Nov. 26, 2024, 3:57 p.m. | By Stacey & J Sbu

Mxit, SA’s iconic messaging app, shaped friendships and culture before closing in 2015. Here’s why it rose, why it fell, and what it meant to a generation.

Mxit was once the beating heart of South Africa’s digital social scene. Launched in 2005 (some sources suggest 2003), it became the first messaging-based social network that truly connected South Africans.

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Back when sending SMSes was costly, Mxit’s free instant messaging revolutionised communication. Teens, parents, and even prayer groups turned to the app to chat, date, network, and form friendships.

However, like many tech giants, its rise was followed by a sharp fall. Mxit peaked with over 10 million users but faced stiff competition as newer, more user-friendly apps entered the market.

WhatsApp, introduced in 2009, offered a simpler interface and smoother experience, gradually pulling users away. By the time Mxit closed its doors in 2015, only 1.2-million users remained.

The app wasn’t just about connection; it was a cultural icon and is remembered for its role in shaping early digital communication in the country.

Yet, it also had its downsides. Internet-facilitated meetings occasionally led to serious incidents, tarnishing its reputation. According to BusinessTech, as of 30 September 2016, avid social networkers were not able to use Mxit.

Today, it is a relic of South Africa’s digital history, a nostalgic memory of a time when messages flew across screens, uniting a generation in a world before WhatsApp.

Paying homage to a once iconic social networking application, Stacey and J Sbu posed the following question to the people of KZN:

J Sbu shared that his Mxit name was Enrique. Why?

"All the ladies loved the way he looked. That Spanish flavour? Gorgeous," he said before he started singing 'Hero'.

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