Within just a few hours, the #AfricaEmoji was trending, with Africans using it to express their hopes for the continent, pride in where they come from and unity with those that they admire.
But why should something as tiny as 72 by 72 pixels be such a big deal?
It’s because Africa is so much more than a beautifully-shaped continent, a trendy tattoo or a travel dream.
The #AfricaEmoji is the start of a new narrative – the one told by Africans. It’s a tiny symbol with massive clout; it's an emoji that lets us share our version of this continent with the rest of the world.
But on Sunday, 28 October, the #AfricaEmoji will no longer be available on Twitter. So, Absa is inviting everyone on the continent to a virtual march on the Unicode offices. Unicode is a global body that has the power to make #AfricaEmoji a permanent feature on phone keyboards across the globe.
To join the virtual march, all users have to do is tweet #AfricaEmoji @Unicode.
For more information, visit www.absa.co.za. You can also follow Absa on Facebook or on Twitter.