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MXit users will now be able to download an entire book on the MXit network for a mere R13.50 (50 Moola per chapter), which is a fraction of the cost of purchasing literature in traditional bookstores.
Juan du Toit, International Marketing Manager for MXit, says "This is a very exciting project for us because it allows us to add online reading to the already broad online social networking and chatting model that encompasses the MXit lifestyle offering.
"As MXit is so widely used by the youth as their preferred communication tool, we hope to encourage the youth to develop a love of reading. We will therefore look to provide our users with more titles in the future."
According to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), 26 percent of the world's adult population is illiterate and 98 percent of these people live in developing countries. Africa as a continent has a literacy rate of less than 60 percent.
Which is why, with the growth and development of mobile mediums as one of the primary means of communication for social interaction, MXit has decided to expand its content to include literature.
The first book offered on MXit's MBooks platform is Emily and the Battle of the Veil, a fantasy novel written by Karen Brooks, which can be downloaded on MXit by visiting Tradepost. The book can be downloaded as content and read at the users own time and convenience.
Emily and the Battle of the Veil is a fantasy novel based on the life of a 13-year old girl in South Africa.
"With the launch of Emily and the Battle of the Veil, we saw an opportunity to assist authors in breaking the status quo of the traditional publishing industry, as well as giving young readers and aspiring writers an opportunity to read new literature or showcase their work", says du Toit.
"It is also a darn good read and we are incredibly lucky that Karen Brooks felt strongly enough about teenage literacy that she was willing to adapt her book to digital format."
Juan goes on to add, "One in five people over the age of 15, do not voluntarily take part in a literary environment. We agree with the United Nations that literacy is a human right. This is MXit doing our bit for literacy as we recognise that most of our users are in the 15 to 24 years-old age bracket".
Click here to read more about the book and the author.
