MTN has entered a strategic partnership with Ayoba, to offer free instant Messaging app that has the same name. MTN subscribers will be able to send and receive messages messages, images, videos and other media to their contacts for free. In an ecosystem which is dominated with many popular apps like WhatsApp and telegram, Ayoba hopes to take up the niche of MTN subscribers onto this platform.
However, if your contact is not an MTN subscriber, you will still be able to receive your messages from Ayoba via SMS text, but will not be able to reply to the message received . They will be informed of this limitation. The best solution at this time is for your contact to download the Ayoba app.
Ayoba aims to go into the fintech business later by allowing subscribers to send and receive money within the App, to contacts in Africa, through Mobile Money. You can make voice calls from the Ayoba app to any of your in app contacts. The call will be charged as a standard voice call and uses your available airtime or minutes available. Importantly, making a call within the app does not use data and is not free.
How to use MTN’s Ayoba
Ayoba uses your phone’s Internet connection (4G/3G/2G/EDGE or Wi-Fie) to send and receive messages to your friends and family. The cost of the data used to send and receive messages will depend on the subscription you have with your service provider. You should also ensure that you haven’t exceeded your data limit. Alternatively, you can also use Ayoba while you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network, which may be free.
On the downside, this app is not available for iPhone users. But, if you have an Android phone, you can download the app from the Google Play Store.
