Kontax | It’s cool to connect

September 2009: The Shuttleworth Foundation launches Africa’s first m-novel, Kontax, in English and isiXhosa on 30 September 2009.

It’s cool to connect

Hip teenagers in Japan are hooked on mobile novels – or m-novels, as they call them. And now the m-novel is here in South Africa, set to take the country by storm, with m4Lit bringing you Kontax by Sam Wilson, not only a great story, but the first ever m-novel in Africa that offers both an English and isiXhosa version. Kontax is made for mobile – and from 30 September you can access it via your WAP-enabled cellphone or from your computer. Every day another riveting chapter in the mystery plot is told, with 21 chapters unfolding over 21 days. But don't just read the story – vote about events in the story, have your say and post comments, download wallpapers and share with your friends. To sweeten the deal, every chapter day, the best comment posted on the English mobisite, and the best comment posted on the isiXhosa mobisite will each win R100 airtime!

There is also a great competition with big airtime prizes at the end of the entire story, when readers will be invited to participate even more by writing ideas for a sequel to the story (in 100 or more words) in English or in isiXhosa. We’ll give you all the details on how you do this once you’ve read to The End! The winners will be announced on the mobisite, and their winning sequel story ideas will also be published on www.kontax.mobi for the world to read and enjoy – fame at last! So seize the moment, express yourself, and you could become a published m-novel writer!

The writers of the winning sequel story ideas – for the English competition and also for the isiXhosa competition – stand to win:

• First prize: R2 000 airtime!
• Second prize: R1 000 airtime!
• Third prize: R500 airtime!

Kontax – the story line

Kontax are the hottest graffiti crew in the city. These four friends come from all over town, and they each have their own unique talent. Sbu has the vision, K8 (pronounced “Kate”) has the training, Songezwa has the technique, and Airtime has the creativity (and the big mouth). The Kontax hang out together making graffiti. They’ll paint wherever they can, and wherever they can’t. They’re the Kontax, and it’s their voice.

One night Sbu hits it off with a girl at a party, but she suddenly disappears, leaving him with her cellphone and her first name. Who is she? Where did she go? And why doesn’t anyone on her cellphone contact list know her? Sensing she is in danger, the Kontax crew uses every idea they can think of, and all their skills and connections, to track the missing girl. As they do, the Kontax discover that this mysterious girl is in more trouble than she could have possibly imagined. And, as they follow her trail, so are they…

To participate

• After 30 September a new chapter from Kontax will be released every day.
• Each chapter is about 400 words long.
• To read the story, vote, comment and enter the competitions, register on www.kontax.mobi from 30 September.
• Or SMS "Kontax" to 33039 right now. (Readers will be sent a reminder SMS back when the story launches.)
• You’ll get the story – and clear directions on how to participate and enter the competitions from the Kontax mobisite.
• SMS is charged at R1.50. This service is only available to WAP-enabled cellphones.

Follow Kontax

• On Twitter or using #kontax.
• On Facebook join the group Kontax.

Press Images

For a range of high-res press images and related captions please go to www.flickr.com/photos/41661758@N08

Crediting of Images

• All images and Kontax story content will be released under a Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 2.5 South Africa licence.
• Credit should read: “Shuttleworth Foundation, Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 2.5 South Africa”

Background info for Editors

A project being run by the Shuttleworth Foundation is the m4Lit (mobile phones for literacy) pilot. Given that many teens are reading and writing more than ever, not formally but on mobile phones, Steve Vosloo of the Shuttleworth Foundation, as part of a research project, wants to understand whether teens are interested in reading stories on their cellphones, whether they write using their cellphones, and whether cellphones might be used to develop literacy skills and a love of reading.

The research project will involve the telling of a 21-chapter teen mystery story, published over 21 days on a cellphone mobisite. The mobile novel, or m-novel is aimed at teenagers – aged from 14 to 16 years, who will not only read the story, but also be invited to vote on events in the story, comment on story issues and write ideas for a story sequel as part of a competition. It is the first m-novel to be published in English as well as in isiXhosa. The project will be broadly promoted through both traditional media and multimedia in order to create a hype and encourage as much teenage reader participation and interaction as possible, with the research results contributing to understanding the opportunities and constraints of m-novels in South Africa.

Specifics of competitions, for clarity

• There is a daily prize – R100 airtime – for the best comment on the English mobisite and R100 airtime for the best comment on the isiXhosa mobisite.
• m4Lit will verify entries in the process of choosing a daily winner. The winning comment will be published on the mobisite.
• The final prizes for writing the story sequel: for each of the English and isiXhosa mobisites:
• First prize: R2 000 airtime
• Second prize: R1 000 airtime
• Third prize: R500 airtime
• Once again, as part of the judging process, the details of potential winners will be verified. The winning sequels, as well as info on the winners, will be published on the mobisite.

Competition Conditions

• Registration sms costs R1.50.
• Errors billed.
• Service only available to WAP-enabled phones.
• The Kontax Story Sequel competition ends on 20 November.
• Winners of the competitions will be selected by judges appointed by the Shuttleworth Foundation.

• Employees of Shuttleworth Foundation, Fontera, Clockwork Zoo, the m4Lit Researchers and Project Co-ordinator, the promoters and their families are ineligible to enter.
• Problems? Please call 073 283 4800.
• Full competition conditions will be available on www.kontax.mobi.

---

Contact person

Steve Vosloo | m4Lit Project Leader
Shuttleworth Foundation
Call: 083 208 9891
Email:
Blog: http://m4lit.wordpress.com

Press Release

Renee Conradie | Emerging Media
Email:
Call: 011 792 4706