MTN Zambia, in partnership with Kirusa, a provider of voice and social media solutions, has launched the AMAVIP social media service.

The service, accessible via mobile devices, provides celebrities and their fans with a platform through which to engage each other.

In a statement released to the media the companies explained that users can record and access voice blogs anytime and anywhere.

"AMAVIP also assists mobile subscribers to receive daily soccer updates, such as team news, pre and post-match analysis and quotes from team players and managers. Users can follow their favourite clubs and teams and get alerts on football news, players, matches, goals, penalties and much more," the statement reads.

MTN Zambia subscribers can get the latest updates from the various celebrities Kirusa has on its platform.

The first to launch on the AMAVIP service was DJ and musician JayRox and popular rapper and actress Bombshell. In Sports, fans will be able to follow all the latest updates by major football clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, etc.

Speaking at the launch, MTN Zambia Chief Marketing Officer Manu Rajan said, "Celebrities are always considered icons and fans look up to them for inspiration. Services like AMAVIP give fans an emotional connection they seek with their favourite celebs. Fans can also respond to celebrities, making it an extraordinary experience."

Dr. Inderpal Singh Mumick, CEO of Kirusa said, "Zambia is tremendously enthusiastic about sports and celebrities. Hence, we were confident that services like these would aid the nurturing of bonds between fans and celebrities. Over 200,000 fans are already connecting with their favourite stars on AMAVIP, and we look forward to having, even more, celebrities connect with their fans."