Fully immersed in writing a serious email, I heard a loud Hadeda scream in my ear, right on my desk. Wait, that’s not right… What the heck? There is a Hadeda on my desk!
South Africa (01 April 2025) – Guys, a Hadeda just screamed at me from my phone… It took me a moment to realise it came from my phone. I thought there was a Hadeda on my desk. I wouldn’t be surprised, it is South Africa after all. But no, it was not a live hadeda, just a cellphone notification… From EskomSePush – the app. And I pooped myself! Did you get it too?
Turns out EskomSePush (ESP) is reverting to the good old Mxit days. Is it an April Fool’s joke? Probably! Did it scare me and make me click the notification? Also yes.
Shame, since we have not had solid weeks of blackouts in South Africa, the genius app has had to pivot and get creative, and it’s still pretty useful. Every time there is an issue in my neighbourhood, my neighbours jump on there to chat, rant and complain. Sometimes they even share the answers to what’s going on.
And now, the app says Mxit is coming back. Oh my 17-year-old self is cringing at the thought of the app coming back. It was the birth of instant messaging on the phone, long before WhatsApp family chats filled with a million Good Morning pictures to drive you mad. It’s something you had to be a millennial to understand. And now (maybe) it’s back!
But hey, if platform shoes, cargo pants and tops that don’t cover anything can come back from the 90s, why not some of our much-loved gems from then too?
“After years of silence, the iconic South African platform is making its return, with a design true to its roots and a renewed mission: connecting people, communities and (perhaps) helping you figure out when the power’s coming back on.
Launched in the pre-smartphone era, Mxit became a cultural touchstone for millions of South Africans, offering a way to chat, flirt and form real connections in the early 2000s. Now, it’s returning to its original vision — with a few… practical enhancements.”
You can read more about the return of Mxit here.
As for the Hadeda notification. I am still trying to decide if its legendary (I mean, its certainly the most South African sound around).
Would I be happy to keep the Hadeda notification? I am not entirely sure… What do you think? And is Mxit back? I am going to wait until tomorrow to truly believe it.
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