MTN Côte d'Ivoire has announced the launch of its celebrity social media service, MTN STAR ACTU, for its subscribers, in partnership with Kirusa.

In a media release the mobile operator explained the service, powered by the Kirusa InstaVoice platform, enables fans on both smartphones and feature phones to follow their favourite stars.

According to MTN, "From Celeb-to-fans and fans-to-Celeb, the MTN STAR ACTU service provides a seamless flow of voice messages. Celebrities, using the unique voice microblogging feature of the service, express their emotions and share their joyous and challenging moments. Their fans can hear them, a better option than just reading their text on a blog or media outlet. These voice messages are delivered instantly to fans, creating a 'Voice Twitter' like experience."

The mobile operator believes the service is a step up from regular social networking platforms because it leverages "a unique connect" based on multiple channels of interactions. These include one-to-one calls, meetings, merchandising and events.

Local celebrities available through the service include Nash, Betika, Kedjevara, Papa Ministre, DJ Mix, Joel Jo'art, Chuken Pat, David Tayorault, Marabout D'Afrik, Kajeem and John Jay.

Speaking at the launch, Wim Vanhelleputte, CEO of MTN Côte d'Ivoire said, "The MTN STAR ACTU service, powered by Kirusa, has created a great excitement in fans to connect and interact with their favorite stars. We are very excited to partner with Kirusa and bring forth these engaging services to our customers in Côte d'Ivoire."

Delighted with the service, Nash, a well-known Nouchi ambassador and rap artist, added, "There's no better way to connect with our fans than through MTN STAR ACTU. It is an excellent platform to share our thoughts and stay in touch with our fans. It has helped me to connect more extensively with my fans. I love to use this service."