Zoopy

Zoopy is an online social media hub, hosting user generated videos, photos, podcasts and blogs. It launched into closed beta in late 2006 and moved into live beta with public access on 5 March 2007. The company is owned and managed by:

• Jason Elk (Marketing and Technology Champion)
• Gerry Da Silva (Sales and Business Development Champion)
• Pat Elk (Operations and Strategy Champion)

Zoopy has attracted some high profile users, including Helen Zille (Leader of the Democratic Alliance and Mayor of Cape Town), Grant Haskin (Deputy Mayor of Cape Town), Habitat for Humanity and Zapiro (cartoonist and satirist Jonathan Shapiro). Users can create their own profile, which then allows them to create, upload and share videos, photos, podcasts and blogs all in one place.

Media on Zoopy is categorized into 28 content channels, ranging from Sports and Adventure to iWitness News, and features Zoopy Street Cam and Street Cast, a video and pocast series that takes to the street to elicit public opinion on popular issues.

In December 2007, Nokia selected Zoopy as their regional imaging partner for South and West Africa. This brings to five the number of international imaging partners chosen by Nokia, including Flickr, YouTube, Vox and Ikbis (Asia). The service embeds direct sharing functionality on all Nokia Nseries devices that allows mobile uploading and browsing of videos and photos to Zoopy. On June 26 2008, Vodacom purchased a 40% share stake in Zoopy.

External links

• Zoopy
• Zoopy Blog
• Mobile uploading with Zoopy and Nokia

Coverage

• Local online video going Zoopy
• SA video, photo sharing site launches with competition
• Zoopy: South Africa’s First Video/Photo Sharing Social Network
• SA gets own video and photo sharing site
• iWeek chooses Zoopy as number 2 in their Top 10 sites
• Top Web 2.0 sites to look out for
• Nokia ties up with Zoopy for online imaging experience
• Zoopy is the best social media site in Africa

References