Howzit, my MSN

Explains Nevo Hadas, head of Kagiso Media Convergence, "These new channels and identity will be rolled out over the next few months to provide our audience with the most comprehensive portal experience in SA.

"MSN is the start of hundreds of thousands of South African's Internet experience each day. We aspire to provide them with a simple, comprehensive view that gives them all the information they want. We're thrilled to be working with these great content partners who are dedicated to providing an unbeatable portal experience for our audience."

The content partners in specialist sections include:

• Ramsay Media (publishers of Car Magazine, Wiel and Leisure Wheels
  
• Touchline Media (publishers of Men's Health, Shape and Runner's World)
  
• Gadget magazine
  
• Jou Wêreld
  
• PNet
  
• SA The Good News
  
• Dining-Out/Sleeping-Out
  
• Healthspas.co.za
  
• All4woman.com
  
• Private Property
  
• Team Talk
  
• Urban Brew, and
  
• a local events section driven by content from the Kagiso radio stations 94.2 Jacaranda FM and East Coast Radio

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Since the partnership commenced in July this year, a dedicated MSN editorial team has developed local news, business and celebrity news offerings and recently rolled out its local celebrity channel, ZALEBS.

The new name is a progression in 'South Africanising' the site to ensure relevance and appeal to the local audience. It was selected in a poll given to MSN users, in which over 4500 audience members cast their votes. The poll revealed that howzit is perceived as the most South African 'hello', followed by heita and sawubona.

According to Nazeer Suliman, the head of the consumer and online business at Microsoft South Africa, if South African users have a deeper, more engaging and far more locally-relevant experience of the portal, this in turn will help its business and that of advertisers.

"It's not all about business, though," says Suliman. "Our partnership with Kagiso Media is crucial to the success of MSN locally. We've pushed for enhancements to the portal, Kagiso [has] delivered, and we really do look forward to working with them even more closely as we take the 'new' MSN forward."