MXit (pronounced "mix it") is a free instant messaging software application developed in South Africa that runs on GPRS or 3G with Java Powered and on PCs. These messages are sent and received via the Internet, rather than with standard SMS technology. MXit does not charge for sending and receiving person to person messages but some mobile operators do charge for GPRS/3G data cost although these costs are much cheaper than traditional SMS messages, as little as Rp.1/per message compared to the normal SMS rates of approximately Rp.100/message. Due to this fact it has become a very popular IM service, especially amongst the youth.
MXit has a registered userbase of over nine million, about fourteen million log-ons per day and over 230 million messages sent/receive per day. The application is distributed internationally and used by users in 120+ countries daily, but the bulk of its userbase is in South Africa and Indonesia with fast growth in Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Namibia, Italy, Germany, Norway, UK and USA.
