EGYPT

Special SA "event visa" to be launched in Egypt

[Nthambeleni Gabara] JOHANNESURG: The special "event visa" which will help process soccer fans faster at the country's airports, is to be launched on 27 April 2009, on national Freedom Day in South Africa. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Over 1.6 million tickets requested for World Cup

[Bathandwa Mbola] Over 1.6 million ticket applications have been made to FIFA for the 2010 World Cup, in the first phase of ticket sales that ended Tuesday night, 31 March 2009. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Two more South Africans for Cannes Lions juries

LONDON: The juries for the 2009 Film and Press Lions, in the 56th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, were announced yesterday, Thursday, 2 April 2009. Two South Africans will be jurists: The Jupiter Drawing Room's Ross Chowles for Film and Net#work BBDO's Graeme Jenner for Press. Read more >>

EAST AFRICA

AY&R East Africa rebrands to Young & Rubicam Brands

[Carole Kimutai] Ayton Young & Rubicam Group (AY&R) has been rebranded to Young & Rubicam Brands, a move aimed at better integrated communications and driving its pan-African growth. Young & Rubicam Brands was founded in 1972 as Hill Ayton Limited. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Gold, Silver, Bronze trophies for Integrated Lions

From this year, Gold, Silver and Bronze Integrated Lions will be awarded for the first time, replacing the Integrated Lion trophy in the 56th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. The deadlines across all 11 entry sections have also been extended until Thursday, 9 April 2009. Read more >>

CENTRAL AFRICA

Engen DRC rebrands after Shell acquisition

African energy company, Engen, says it has overcome stiff challenges while rebranding from Shell to Engen in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since the acquisition in 2008. Wayne Hartmann, general manager of Engen International Business Development, says much behind-the-scenes work was required to win the confidence of stakeholders in the DRC operation. Read more >>

EGYPT

Local members mark centenary of press freedom demonstrations

About 100 journalists, human rights activists and media personnel gathered in Cairo on 29 March, 2009 to mark the "100th Anniversary of Press Freedom Demonstrations in Egypt 1909", an event organised by IFEX members in Egypt the Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) and the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR). Read more >>

CENTRAL AFRICA

Madonna causes stir with Malawi press

[Gregory Gondwe] A number of local and foreign journalists sustained injuries on Tuesday, 31 March, 2009 when Malawi police officers descended on them in an attempt to protect US popstar Madonna who is currently in Malawi. She is in the country to adopt a second Malawian orphan. Read more >>

AFRICA

Africa Business Reporting Awards 2009 final entries call

The closing date for entries for the Africa Business Reporting Awards 2009 is 15 April 2009. The awards reception will be held at the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel, in London, on 2 July. Read more >>

AFRICA

Rival Industrial buys Bundublog

Niche market industrial publishing company Rival Industrial has purchased African-focused blogging platform Bundublog effective 1 April, 2009. Bundublog is a South African-based free blogging community with approximately 130 active blogs featuring bloggers across Africa in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Nigeria. Read more >>

NAMIBIA

Namib Film represents NFC at 2009 AFCI Locations Trade Show

click to enlarge

Namib Film, co-sponsor of the Namibia Film Project, will be representing the Namibia Film Commission (NFC) at the 2009 AFCI Locations Trade Show at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Los Angeles from the 16 - 18 April. The company provides film production services within Namibia with global clients including Klum Film & Video Productions (Australia), Cellusion Films (Belgium) and Navigator Films (South Africa). For more information on the event click here.

CENTRAL AFRICA

Two radio stations shut down in DRC

NEW YORK: The Committee to Protect Journalists has called on authorities in the south-eastern Congolese city of Likasi to allow two private stations to return to the air. On 11, March 2009, the mayor of Likasi, Denis Kalondji Ngoy, ordered the closure of Radio Communautaire du Katanga (RCK) and Radiotélévision Likasi 4 (RTL4) in connection with their coverage of a local strike, according to local press freedom group Journaliste en Danger (JED). Read more >>

EAST AFRICA

Ethiopian Airlines reports higher profit

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has reported that it has posted higher revenues and profits for the first half of their fiscal year from 1 July 2008 to Jan 2009, compared to the same period for the previous year. The carrier generated US$599 million in operating revenues which equated to a 54.8% increase and net profit was up 9% to US$46 million compared to the 2007/2008 results for the same period. Read more >>

COTE D'IVOIRE

3bn Ivory Coast debt write-off

The International Monetary Fund will write off US$3 billlion of Ivory Coast's US$12.8 billion national debt. The decision comes after the fund agreed to lend another US$565 million to the country, on condition that the government reduces poverty and improves financial transparency. Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo called the write-off good news. But the IMF remarked that an extensive reform programme is needed for the nation to qualify for more loans in the future. Source: Panos London