[In The Know]

  SA gets own video and photo sharing site

Author:
Staff Reporter
Issued:
29 Mar 2007

Zoopy social networking launches

A SOUTH AFRICAN-BUILT video and photo sharing social network, zoopy.com, has launched in Cape Town.

Zoopy Girl

The beta phase went live this month, attracting over 50 000 page views, 4 000 unique visitors and 143 signed-up members in its first two weeks. The members have already uploaded over 573 videos and 403 photos.

Zoopy.com co-founder Jason Elk says work on the site began last year, with the team aiming to create a way for South Africans to connect and share with friends, family, colleagues and "some very nice complete strangers".

"We wanted to make sharing easier than dragging out dusty old photo albums. Whatever Zoopy was to be become, it had to be easy, fast and fun."

Zoopy founders (L - R) Pat Elk, Jason Elk, Adéle Groenendaal and Gerry da Silva

Elk says the site's revenue model is based on channel partnerships. "Our channel sponsor partners will be contributing to the community in new, exciting and interactive ways. Ways that traditional media could never allow and with opportunities for users that would otherwise never be as involving or interesting. For example, we have a mobile entertainment company called Jamster taking ownership of the Music channels - both photo and video channels that contain media related specifically to music."

"In other words, partners roll up their sleeves to make the channel they're sponsoring more interesting, by uploading videos and photos that would interest channel visitors. On top of this, each channel sponsor has the opportunity to work with us on offering Zoopy members the chance to interact with their brand through competitions that involve user-generated content as entry requirements."

 Å Å  Back