Research on communities of practice suggests that such groups can be used to support academic staff development, especially during times of crisis. We explore how a group of South African women academics and 'eLearning champions' engaged in a mobile community of practice under COVID-19 conditions. Our analysis of WhatsApp chat histories and focus group conversations reflects how the group evolved from a mobile CoP into a multi-modal third place, with implications for community-building, teaching transformation, and organisational change.