Government encourages youth to save energy with social media game

Government’s launch of a game that aims to teach children how and why to save energy demonstrates its commitment to helping South Africans save electricity.

The game, to be distributed for free via the internet and popular social networking and instant messaging tool MXit, was officially launched by the Minister of Energy, Dipuo Peters, at Tigerkloof Combined School in Vryburg in the North West today. The game, called Save It! Digital game, features three superhero characters who try to thwart the Energy Guzzler, a power-wasting monster who is using up all of the electricity available in a home. The characters must out-manoeuvre the Guzzler, beating him by saving as much power as they can before he can undo their good work. The game is aimed at primary-school children who will be able to compare the points that they have scored with other MXit users across the country.

According to Minister of Energy Dipuo Peters, who expressed her enthusiasm for the game: “In a fast-changing world, Government is constantly looking for new ways to reach its citizens. We are very excited to be using new media to communicate with the youth – who, let’s admit, are already far more techno-savvy than any adult,” she laughed. “Reaching the hearts and minds of South Africans starts with reaching the youth: we hope that they will take what they have learnt into their homes, their schools and, ultimately, into the future.”

The game was developed by Government as part of its National Energy Efficiency Campaign, comprising a schools road show and a communications campaign aimed at educating South Africans about the importance of saving energy.

In light of both the recently announced electricity tariff increase and the global economic recession, Government is even more strongly dedicated to helping South Africans keep their household electricity bills to a lower amount than ever before.

The South-African developed social-networking and instant messaging tool, MXit, runs on mobile phones and computers. It allows users to send and receive text messages to other users, or to use general chat rooms. It is used by an estimated 14.8 million people, with approximately 250-million messages sent and received every day - and very popular amongst young South Africans, with a growing global presence.

Save It! Digital game is available on MXit in Trade post (download MXit from www.mxit.com/wap) and can be freely downloaded from www.savingenergy.co.za – the National Energy Efficiency Campaign’s website.