Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards 2011 finalists announced

More than 1220 entries were received from 21 countries across Africa and the rest of the world. The judging panel brings together global experts from the field of media, business, as well as pan-African initiatives and organisations.

The 2011 judges include:

• Zeinab Badawi, international news broadcaster
  
• Dr. Shantayanan Devarajan, chief economist of the World Bank's Africa Division
  
• Stephen King, investments director at The Omidyar Foundation
  
• Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu, former CEO of New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD)
  
• Dr Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, chairman of the NEPAD Business Group and executive president of the African Business Roundtable
  
• Paul Walsh (chair), CEO of Diageo
  
• Baroness Shriti Vadera, G20 advisor and former minister for business and competitiveness in Gordon Brown's government

The finalists are (in no particular order):

Best Business News Story

• Spending Spree at Presidency by Anthony Osae Brown (BusinessDay, Nigeria)
  
• Business Behind Nigeria Fashion Industry by Keisha Gitari (CNBC Africa, Nigeria)
  
• Conflict between technology and labour poses job security headache by David Mugwe (Business Daily, Kenya)

Best Finance Feature

• Money Transfer Series by Boniface Mutakha (Citizen Television, Kenya)
  
• The real cost of owning a car by Lizz Gakii Ntonjira (NTV, Kenya)
  
• Why CEOs need to come clean on their pay by Emmanuel Were, Nick Wachira and Cosmas Butunyi (The East African, Kenya)

Best newcomer

• Lee Mwiti Mugambi (Africa Review.com, Kenya)
  
• Clair MacDougall (The Huffington Post, Crikey.com: USA, Australia)
  
• Cynthia Musenya Nyamai (KTN, Kenya)

Best use of New Media

• Oil city Takoradi by Rob Walker (BBC World Service, UK)
  
• Uprising in Tunisia and Egypt - Lessons for sub-saharan Youth by Jackson Mvunganyi (Voice of America, USA)
  
• On Location: Ishunga, Congo - Market Walk by Tim Freccia (Global Post, USA)

Best ICT Feature

• Digital Africa by J.M. Ledgard (Intelligent Life, UK)
  
• Internet, business et amour by Anne Mireille Mbiacob (Le blog de Nzouankeu, Cameroon)
  
• Carbon Free Calling by Mohammed Khan (African Telecoms, South Africa)

Best Agribusiness or Environment Feature

• Is there a Revolution in African Farming? by Charlotte Ashton (BBC, The World Tonight, UK)
  
• If there is Sunshine, There will be Water by Jonathan Kalan (The Star, Kenya)
  
• Turning agriculture into big business by Isaac Masingati (Daily Times, Malawi)

Best Tourism Feature

• Marrakech, the new star of the Maghreb by Leïla Slimani (Africa Report, France)
  
• Kenya tour resorts miss out on niche global ecosphere sustainability awards by Wycliffe Muga (Kenya Star, Kenya)
  
• Inside Africa from Zanzibar by Robyn Curnow (CNN, SA)

Best Infrastructure Feature

• Senegal Airport by Drew Hinshaw (Christian Science Monitor, USA)
  
• South African mining by Edward Cropley (Reuters, South Africa)
  
• Hyacinth problem & Tourism Potential in Nyanza region by James Karani (KTN, Kenya)

Best Business Feature

• In Africa, Brazil takes a different track by David Lewis (Reuters, Global)
  
• Killing a mosquito with a bazooka by Isaac Masingati (Daily Times, Malawi)
  
• A sleeping giant stirs by Eleanor Whitehead (This is Africa, UK)

Journalist of the Year

• Peter Guest (This is Africa, UK)
  
• Xan Rice (Guardian Observer, UK)
  
• Nicholas Norbrook (The Africa Report, France)
  
• Erin Conway-Smith (The Global Post, SA)

Media of the Year

• Reuters
  
• The Africa Report
  
• How We Made it In Africa

Commenting on this year's awards, Nick Blazquez, president, Diageo Africa said, "These finalists represent those who are leading the way in business reporting on Africa. The shortlisted entrants have gone the extra mile in reporting the opportunities and challenges of doing business in Africa.

"The record-breaking number of entries from across the globe reflects a continued increase in business reporting on Africa, but the type of reports has also indicated a shift in the way that news is being delivered to audiences with many more entrants being online citizen journalists and bloggers making use of new media. With over 1220 entries this year, those shortlisted in their category should be proud of their achievements and contribution to promoting a more accurate understanding of the business environment in Africa," continued Blazquez.