Browsing: World of Avatar

Instant messaging service Mxit is the best Web application ever to be created in Africa, according to Alan Knott-Craig. Knott-Craig previously headed up wireless provider iBurst and mobile social network Mxit. But Knott-Craig – who is the son of

DataProphet, founded 18 months ago by friends Richard Craib, Frans Cronje and Daniel Schwartzkopff, uses machine learning algorithms to solve complex problems. With just six members, the start-up is already providing services to several big call centres across

Mxit has appointed former acting CEO Francois Swart as the company’s permanent head. Swart took on the role in October 2012 when then-CEO Alan Knott-Craig quit after clashing with the company’s board over strategy. Knott-Craig’s decision to quit followed a move by

China’s Tencent, in which JSE-listed Internet and media group Naspers holds a 35% stake, appears to have designs on the African market and is preparing to ramp up focus on South Africa and Africa more broadly with its WeChat platform. Tencent, well known in China for its QQ

Another year is almost done and 2012 has certainly been a busy one for South Africa’s technology industry. We know what our favourite stories were in 2012, but which articles did TechCentral’s readers click on the most. This are the pieces, in ascending order from 10 to one, that generated the most reads during

Mobile social network Mxit has confirmed that it has retrenched more than a quarter of its workforce. Forty-one people from of its 150-strong staff complement were let go as part of a refocusing of its strategy for 2013. The move comes only

Stellenbosch-based mobile social network Mxit is retrenching as much as 27% of its workforce, company insiders say. This comes just months after the exit of CEO Alan Knott-Craig, who also formerly headed up the investment vehicle World of Avatar of which Mxit is part. TechCentral has learnt

Alan Knott-Craig has resigned as CEO of Stellenbosch-based social networking and instant-messaging service Mxit after disagreeing over strategy with major shareholders in the company, who include former FirstRand executives Paul Harris and GT Ferreira. Mxit is 90% owned by

Avatars, warriors, wizards, whizz-kids, mavericks and dreamers. They could all be characters in a fantasy game played with gunships and lasers on a mobile device. But they are actually the descriptions given to employees at Alan Knott-Craig’s World of Avatar, the Stellenbosch-based cellular, social media and