Instant messaging mobile application, WeChat, has become available for Nokia’s low cost Asha Touch smartphones.

Similar to instant messaging service ‘WhatsApp’, WeChat enables users to communicate via text, voice, emoticons and photos over a mobile or data network.

WeChat is free for downloads for smartphones running on iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and Symbian.

While applications such as WeChat have become available for Nokia phones, the likes of popular photo sharing application Instagram has not become available for these devices.

Nevertheless, Nokia’s head of developer ecosystem, South and East Africa, Mark Strathmore is upbeat about WeChat’s Nokia availability.

“We’re excited about WeChat’s support to launch WeChat for Nokia Asha smartphones. WeChat enriches the Nokia Asha user experience and we look forward to working closely with WeChat to bring even more innovative features to our customers across all our smartphones and in a growing number of countries and devices,” says Strathmore in a statement.

Brett Loubser, managing director of WeChat Africa, says: “Ultimately we want as many people as possible across Africa to experience WeChat, and we understand the success Nokia has had with the Asha range on the continent.”