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You are here: Home / News / The South African who went from studying optometry to starting a mobile messaging empire | SA News

The South African who went from studying optometry to starting a mobile messaging empire | SA News

12 July 2025 by Guest


Pieter de Villiers is one of the brains behind Clickatell, a South African company that played a key role in the success of messaging platform WhatsApp.

De Villiers attended the University of Johannesburg, where he completed a Bachelor of Science in Optometry.

“Optometry as a science degree is fascinating because it’s the convergence between mathematics, physics, and biology,” De Villiers said in a 2020 interview with TechCentral.

“If you think about the eye being organic, yet you have lenses to make it operate…

San People: The San people, also known as Bushmen, are one of the oldest
indigenous groups in Southern Africa, known for their rock art and traditional hunting skills.

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Comments

  1. Digital Goddess

    9 September 2026 at 4:45 pm

    People say I am a nobody, nobody is perfect, therefore I am perfect

  2. Springheel Jack

    8 September 2026 at 11:13 pm

    Fun South African Fact: South Africa has three capital cities

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