Howzit Chat

Coming soon to Android and iOS

A South African chat app for every person. Sign in with your cellphone number, choose a handle, and message the people you know - with business showcases, menus and in-app buying on the way.

Howzit: the word howzit in lowercase cream letters, with a small orange speech bubble as the full stop

Your people. Your place.

A truly South African app built by a South African for South Africans

SMS sign-in, no password12 official languages

WWeekend crew
LeratoHowzit! Ready for the weekend?
Let's make a plan 🇿🇦
Sipho▶ Voice note · 0:12
Howzit!Sawubona!Molo!Haai daar!Lumela!Dumela!Thobela!Avuxeni!Ndaa!Lotjhani!Sanibonani!Hello!

Say howzit

Howzit!

One country, twelve official languages, one app. Pick your greeting:

How it works

  1. Enter your South African cellphone number. We SMS you a once-off PIN to sign in - no password to remember.
  2. Set up your profile: a unique handle, your display name, and an optional city and bio.
  3. Find someone by their exact handle and start a private one-to-one chat.
  4. Turn on message notifications so you hear when a new chat arrives.

Try a handle

Every person on Howzit Chat picks a handle: small letters, numbers and underscores, 3 to 24 characters. People find you by your exact handle. Try yours:

Like johan_m or braai_boss22.

What it does today

Phone-number sign in
A once-off PIN by SMS verifies it's you. No email address, no password.
Your profile
A unique handle, display name, and optional city and bio.
Private one-to-one chats
Messages stay between you and the person you send them to.
Message notifications
An alert when someone messages you, if you switch them on.

Where it's going

The idea behind Howzit Chat is a platform for every person, in the way WeChat serves China. Chat is the start. Next, the app opens up to small business: shops, restaurants and vendors showing what they sell, and customers buying from anyone - a big-box retailer or a vendor on the street.

LeratoSunrise up Table Mountain
SiphoBraai master at work
Weekend crewGreen and gold game day
ThandiEarly taxi, early hustle
PieterDurban waves today
AyeshaBafana under the lights

Illustrations: what moments will feel like.

Moments
Share posts about what you're doing, where you're travelling, and time with friends.
Video
Short video-style uploads to your moments.
Business showcases
Small businesses display their products on their own page in the app.
QR discovery
Scan a business's QR code to open its showcase.
Restaurant menus
Restaurants advertise their menus in the app.
Buying in the app
Pay by QR code through a payment partner, with funds moving straight between client and supplier.
Advertising
A small section where companies advertise their products.
A market stall with a QR code sign and a phone scanning it

Illustration.

Demo: a customer scans a business's QR code and its showcase opens.

Planned, not yet live

These features are on the roadmap and in development. The app in testing today does sign-in, profiles and one-to-one chat.

Where it stands

In testing

Howzit Chat is being tested with a small group ahead of its public launch on Google Play and the Apple App Store.

The company

OwnerBrownblok Group (Pty) Ltd
Based inModderfontein, Johannesburg, South Africa
Contactinfo@howzitchat.co.za

The fine print

Read how we handle your information, or get help with the app.

Privacy policy Support