SOUTH AFRICA

African politicians ban media to avoid criticism - Henry Maina

[Issa Sikiti da Silva] The fundamental reason that many African governments ban and harass the media has more to do with personal connotations than other issues, Kenya's Henry Maina, director of Article 19 Eastern Africa, told delegates at the two-day Regulations and Rights media conference last week in Johannesburg. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Dario Milo and media law: is legal sky a limit for journalists?

[Issa Sikiti da Silva] There is some substantiated regulation of what the media can do and what it cannot do, but the balance must be struck between what the law has prescribed and freedom of expression, Prof Dario Milo, Wits University media law visiting professor and Webber & Wentzel partner, said last week in Johannesburg at the two-day Regulations and Rights media conference. Read more >>

MALAWI

Malawi: NPL challenges injunction to stop publication

[Gregory Gondwe] Nation Publications Limited (NPL), publishers of The Nation, Weekend Nation and Nation on Sunday are challenging a high court injunction that stopped circulation of its Saturday edition. Read more >>

AFRICA

Loeries 2011 opens for entries, categories revised

The Loerie Awards launched its 2011 campaign, Tuesday 15 March 2011, entitled "Don't hate. Create", created by Draftfcb and supported by a mobisite and specially developed augmented reality apps, linking digital technology to the printed media, along with a revamp of its award categories. Read more >>

SOUTHERN AFRICA

SEACOM expands access to five more countries

SEACOM's services are now accessible from Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. Suveer Ramdhani, SEACOM's head of product strategy, said: "This latest development is integral to the continued expansion of the SEACOM network in Africa and in particular to countries that have had limited access to broadband connectivity. We will continue to build relationships to meet our customers' growing need for resilient and seamless capacity. This is part of SEACOM's objective to build the African internet."

AFRICA

March for women in the African Women's Decade

[Gwen Watkins] Internationally recognised as Women's History Month, March 2011 has seen South Africa benefit from top international and local speakers at women's events in Johannesburg. Celebrating International Women's Day, the WIF conference heard from Dona Oosthuyse, MD: GM for Citi South Africa and the British High Commissioner, Dr Nicola Brewer. Read more >>

EAST AFRICA

NMG dominates East African Business Council Awards

[Staff reporter] Business journalists from the Nation Media Group (NMG) scooped three of the four awards in the inaugural East African Business Council Awards held in Nairobi, Kenya on Monday night, 14 March 2011. Read more >>

AFRICA

Judging panel announced for 2011 Diageo Awards

LONDON: The panel of judges has been announced for the eighth Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards set to take place on 30 June 2011. The annual awards aims to encourage more prolific reporting of economic opportunities in Africa and to celebrate excellence in business journalism. Read more >>

KENYA

Kenya: African Laughter launches service for media

[Carole Kimutai] African Laughter has launched an online news and information centre for the Kenyan media. The website is a press release news service for journalists and editors seeking extra news leads, or who want to stay abreast of the day's media events and releases. Read more >>

ZIMBABWE

The Zimbabwean launches freedom of speech campaign

JOHANNESBURG: Launching a new campaign conceptualised for The Zimbabwean newspaper, TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris Johannesburg have erected billboards across South Africa depicting nine, harrowing real life stories of life in Zimbabwe. The campaign is entitled 'Give a voice to the voiceless'. Read more >>

AFRICA

US, China tussle over Africa: governments warned to exercise caution

[Issa Sikiti da Silva] As African governments spread their wings to embrace China's no-strings-attached ideological and economic involvement in Africa at the expense of the US, experts urge the continent to guard against a 'simplistic shift' in allegiance from west to east, according to a Standard Bank Economic Strategy report released on Monday, 14 March 2011. Read more >>

TURKEY

27 Intercontinental Cup trophies granted in Istanbul

ISTANBUL, TURKEY: The fourth circle of Intercontinental Advertising Cup was judged last week in Istanbul. 715 entries were shortlisted from finalists and winners of biggest regional advertising festivals: Asia Pacific's ADFEST, Ibero-American FIAP, Art Directors Club of Europe and Golden Drum, New Europe. Read more >>

FRANCE

FIPP Research Awards shortlist

PARIS, FRANCE: The shortlist for the FIPP Research Awards has been announced. The awards will take place after day one of the Research Forum on 14 April 2011, at a special dinner at the Hotel California in Paris and will celebrate the best research that promotes the use of magazines as an advertising medium, anywhere in the world. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Bushmans Kloof - for a quiet walk on the wild side

[Chris Moerdyk: @chrismoerdyk] My interest in the Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Retreat, in the stark Cederberg Mountains of the Western Cape, was sparkled by a combination of cynicism and curiosity. (Photographs: Rod Baker) Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Long Beach, Mauritius - something for everyone

[Rod Baker] Biz.Travel spoke to Nicolas de Chalain, the general manager of the new Long Beach Resort in Mauritius recently, about the Sun Resort group's new 'jewel in the crown'. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

So Queer: Where are the cricket hunks?

[Siphosethu Stuurman] Coming from the rather uninspiring city of Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg with a head full of dreams, I've had to start off in very humbling fashion. I share a two-bedroomed flat in Midrand, where I had to sleep on the mattress for my first two weeks! This was definitely not how I imagined my post-university life, but considering I was just starting off I had no choice but to grin and bear it. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Swashbuckling Mr Cat & The Jackal unleash Sins and Siren Songs

[Ruth Cooper] Mr Cat & The Jackal are not gonna be everybody's beverage of choice but, if you like your drinks strong and straight up with a twist of theatrical quirk, their new album Sins and Siren Songs should go down a treat. Since I received the album I have been drinking it down fairly rapidly and so far I'm loving it and happily hangover free. Read more >>