SOUTH AFRICA

[2011 trends] Post-production: less about tools, more about talent, service, delivery

[Tracey Williams] 2010 was all about the FIFA World Cup, so 2011 will be about brands re-establishing themselves and promoting themselves by their own intrinsic qualities. In post-production, it is becoming less about the tools (as that outdates itself so quickly) and more about the talent, service and delivery. Read more >>

AFRICA

Scrap archaic laws incriminating journalists - Raymond Louw

[Issa Sikiti da Silva] While the Tunisian media now have their freedom, thousands of outspoken journalists in Africa still live and work in fear partly due to outdated draconian media laws still applied on the continent. South African media rights activist Raymond Louw has called for the scrapping of these laws, as the number of journalists incriminated by this legislation increases. Read more >>

EAST AFRICA

Rwanda: Lengthy jail-term for journo alarms world press

The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the World Editors Forum have written to Rwandan President Paul Kagame to express their serious concern over the lengthy prison sentences requested by state prosecutors in a High Court hearing against two journalists. Read more >>

AFRICA

Five ways to get more out of Google Analytics

[Yoray Narainpersad] I have used Google Analytics (GA) for years now to accurately analyse the performance of my SEO efforts. And for those that don't know - GA is a free tool that tracks information about the way visitors to your site interact with it. Read more >>

MALAWI

Malawi: Professor heads draft Communication Policy team

[Gregory Gondwe] The University of Malawi's Associate Professor of Law Edge Kanyongoro has been appointed to head a task force to refine a draft Communication Policy before it is tabled for the Access to Information Bill in parliament. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Motribe hits half-a-million milestone

[Sindy Peters: Africa editor] It's been only four months since the launch of Motribe and already the mobile social networking platform has reached a significant milestone. As of late last night, Thursday, 20 January 2011, the South African startup now has just over 500 000 registered users. Since launch, Motribe has had over 30 million page impressions per month, 60 000 blog posts and 58% active users (over 30 days). Read more >>

AFRICA

African network operators prepare to share cellphone towers

[Thabiso Mochiko] Eaton Towers expects mobile operators to share 25000 cellphone towers in Africa by 2013 as they increasingly realise the benefits of outsourcing such infrastructure, CEO Alan Harper said yesterday (18 January 2011). Read more >>

AFRICA

2011 Encounters Documentary Festival open for entries

The 2011 Encounters South African International Documentary Festival is open for entries to its 13th edition. The festival will take place in Cape Town and Johannesburg from 9-26 June. Read more >>

ZIMBABWE

Research Bureau International wins Zim media survey tender

[Dumisani Ndlela] Research Bureau International has won the tender to conduct the All Media and Products Survey (ZAMPS) over a two-year period from 2011 to 2012 after a unanimous decision by the Zimbabwe Advertising Research Foundation (ZARF) board on Monday, 17 January 2011. Read more >>

ZIMBABWE

Zim government blocks Pick n Pay's Zimbabwe acquisition

[Dumisani Ndlela] The Zimbabwe government has blocked the purchase of a 24% stake in TM Supermarkets by South Africa's retail group Pick n Pay due to an indigenisation law requiring foreign and white-owned firms to relinquish control to black Zimbabweans. Read more >>

UNITED KINGDOM

Cannes Lions announces Design Lions, PR Lions jury presidents

London, UK: Cannes Lions has announced two more top industry authorities who will be taking on the roles of guiding juries at the 2011 International Festival of Creativity. Read more >>

UNITED STATES

DDB Stockholm AB wins AME Grand Award

NEW YORK, NY: The International AME Awards for Advertising & Marketing Effectiveness has announced the 2011 award winners. The International AME Grand Jury awarded the International AME Grand Trophy and AME Green Award to DDB Stockholm AB. Read more >>

UNITED STATES

2011 Tabbie Awards open for nominations

CLEVELAND, US: The 2011 Tabbies Call for Entries is now available at the TABPI website. The Tabbies, the editorial and design awards program run by Trade, Association and Business Publications International (TABPI), is again partnering with MPASA, the Magazine Publishers Association of South Africa and SA-based SAFREA, the Southern African Freelancers Association. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

First edition of TBCSA FNB Tourism Business Index published

The first edition of the TBCSA FNB Tourism Business Index (TBI) has been presented to media and tourism industry leaders, at a special briefing session held at the City Lodge hotel in Johannesburg. TBI is an initiative of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), sponsored by First National Bank (FNB) and compiled by Grant Thornton Strategic Services (GTSS). Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

The shrew tamed at Maynardville

[John Cooper] My sometime theatre-going cat Thomas Marmalade (well he did review Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats on this website - and liked it) occasionally catches a shrew in our shared garden in Rondebosch. They seem to be inoffensive enough little animals, so perhaps the European shrew that Shakespeare would have known has a somewhat different manner. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

RAMfest returns!

RAMfest 2011 will this year be held in Cape Town, Durban and Joburg, and will be held over a five-day period. There will be a total of six stages and two international bands: Alkaline Trio (US) and Funeral for a Friend (UK) will feature, as well as top local acts. Read more >>