A few days ago, we reported on how Apple had recently come under the microscope for its set of Emojis which lacked cultural diversity. It had been noted that out of all the Emojis, only two appeared to be of the non-caucasian variety, leading some to criticize Apple for it.
Apple has since promised to look into the issue but in the meantime and perhaps not wanting to wait around for Apple to do something about it, Oju Africa has launched their own series of “afro” emoticons in response.
Oju Africa is a division of African mobile manufacturer, Mi-Fone, and have since released a series of emoticons for Android that adds a touch of diversity to the proceedings. The emoticons are originally designed for Android devices in mind, but they will also be released for iOS devices at a later date.
According to Oju Africa’s creative director, Eserick Fouche, “We follow global trends but we are differentiated by our authentic African voice. So as a brand we wanted to do something that only Africa could pull off, something that could become so iconic that it would have the world talking. I believe what we have created will ensure that every African on the planet won’t be able to help but love it!”
If you’d like to add Oju Africa’s emoticons to your Android phone, hit up the Google Play Store for the free download.
Filed in . Read more about Emoji.