Viber, one of the leading messaging and calling apps with more than 664 million unique users worldwide, has opened its latest social channel ‘Public Chats’ to partners in Africa and the Middle East.

Brands, organizations, celebrities, public figures and social influencers from these countries can now join Viber’s global platform to reach a local and regional audience.

Public Chats are live discussions that Viber users can follow, like and share with their community. Released in beta version in November 2014 with select global partners, this feature offers a new kind of social experience – tapping into live conversations from celebrities, personalities, brands and organizations. Mobile users can discover new communities, follow interactive chats in real-time and share original pieces of content with friends and contacts.

Chief Marketing Officer of Viber Mark Hardy said “the Middle East and Africa are important markets for Viber, and we are pleased to welcome local influencers and brands to our Public Chats platform.

“We are sure they will enjoy chatting, commenting and debating live on this active social channel whilst sharing tips, news, and local content to our constantly connected mobile audience across the region.”

Selected partners in Africa, at Pan-African level and in key markets such as Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Kenya, and Egypt, have joined Public Chats for this regional launch in a bid to be the first players to offer local conversations on Viber. African users can now start to follow them from the Viber Public Chats explore page.    

The internationally acclaimed Senegalese singer and composer, Youssou NDour just joined Viber Public Chats. 

Youssou said “the Viber Public Chats channel will enable my fans to follow in real time my music and artistic activities; it will also represent an opportunity for me to engage in discussions designed to forge a peaceful and open world.”

Jumia, the leading ecommerce platform in Africa, recently opened Public Chats in Egypt and Nigeria and were one of the first partners to join this new social channel in the Middle East and Africa. Viber users can expect more Jumia Public Chats to open in the African continent in the coming months.

Chief Executive Officer of Jumia Jeremy Doutte said “we are really excited with this partnership. As new African customers discover the Internet first through their mobile, we want to address them wherever they are.

“Viber is a mobile first company with an outstanding reach in Africa. Jumia is also a mobile first company and the first online shopping destination in Africa. Joining forces will enable both Viber and Jumia to deliver quality content and good vibes to our users." 

“I joined the Viber Public Chat because I realised it is a fast growing global platform to reach and interact with the public,” said celebrated blogger, Ameyaw Debrah.”

He added “I see it as an opportunity to expand my social media activities to reach existing and new audiences in the unique Public Chat format. I hope to be able to provide fun updates and interactions around me, the world of celebrity news and lifestyle, and more.”

Christy Ukata shared her enthusiasm about this new social channel. She said “Interestingly, Viber Public Chats have created a platform for people of same interest to learn from each other and share ideas that lead to growth. I love it!”

The Viber Public Chat comes at a time when we are looking to emerging markets, and how best to consolidate our lead online," announced Jay Foley, Business Manager at LIVE FM. "This is a something unique in every sense of what it stands for. We are delighted to be part of this new platform; we believe it is only right that we speak in the language in which our target audience live and breath.

In the continent, Pan-African media such as AllAfrica.com and TRUE Africa have joined as partners and are now live on Public Chats. "We’re excited to be an early adopter of this new Viber platform,” said Amadou Mahtar Ba, Chairman of AllAfrica Global Media. “We look forward to inviting African media to comment on current affairs and national events as they happen in their country. Public Chats promise to be an excellent tool to bring together our community of African media.” 

Other Pan-African partners include Brand Africa a non-profit organisation and intergenerational movement to create a positive image of Africa, celebrate its diversity and drive its competitiveness; fashion influencer and stylist Louis Philippe de Gagoue; as well as Gareth Pon, Africa’s top instagrammer, filmmaker and social influencer with proficient knowledge in the use of mobile photography apps.

In addition, more than 50 partners have joined Public Chats in key African markets. Viber users can now follow Bella Naija, top lifestyle media in Nigeria, Vanessa Haywood, Actress and Model in South Africa, Xtian Dela, Radio Presenter, Blogger & Social Influencer in Kenya, Filfan the first entertainment platform in Egypt, WIW Sport the number 1 Sport news portal in Senegal and Serge Beynaud, Afro Pop Musician and Composer from Ivory Coast.

Public Chats are easy to follow from within the Viber app. Anyone on Viber can follow as many Public Chats as they like. Conversations are multi-media and include text, photos, audio, video, stickers, web links and geo-localization. Users can invite friends to follow their favourite Public Chats and share parts of these conversations. The most popular chats are featured on the home screen of Viber’s Public Chats section. Users can easily find new Public Chats through the search tab or access a chat directly via a customized URL.

Global brands, celebrities and public figures on Public Chats include online media platforms such as Huffington Post, Mashable, BuzzFeed and the BBC; the Prime Minister of India, Narendra.