ANGOLA

Police silence the media

[Louise Redvers] Rights groups and activists are warning of a rapidly deteriorating political climate in Angola following a police raid on a private newspaper and a violent crackdown on anti-government protests. Read more >>

UGANDA

Get your companies online, marketers told

[Walter Wafula] Globally, there is an increasing use of social media platforms like Facebook, and Twitter, by individuals and companies. In Uganda, like elsewhere, individuals are more aggressive in embracing the social change than businesses. Read more >>

AFRICA

TJDR Cape Town develops pan-African campaign for Baileys

The Jupiter Drawing Room (TJDR) Cape Town has been brought on board to partner with Diageo, the drinks business with a collection of beverage alcohol brands, on developing a communications platform for Baileys in Africa. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Five lessons brands can learn from Kony 2012

[Maja Rode] Kony 2012 has undoubtedly become one of the most successful social media-driven marketing campaigns to date, primarily because the public doesn't seem to look at it as a marketing campaign at all. If brands and their causes really do want to compete with Kony 2012, they will have to bear a few important things in mind. Read more >>

AFRICA

Increase in entries for AMAA's

The African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) received a total of 328 entries from across Africa, an increase of 108 entries in 2011. This includes 134 feature films, 88 short films, 57 documentaries and six animations. 43 entries came from Africans in the Diaspora, with the other entries coming from 23 countries across the continent. Read more >>

CONGO

Red Cross steps up assistance for explosion victims

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is continuing its efforts together with the Congolese Red Cross to help people affected by the Brazzaville blasts which took place on Sunday, 4 March 2012. Read more >>

AFRICA

T-Systems eyes Africa in management shake-up

[Craig Wilson] Gert Schoonbee has been named as the new MD of IT outsourcing specialist T-Systems in SA, replacing Mardia van der Walt-Korsten, who is moving on to a role as regional head of the company's newly created Africa region. Read more >>

TANZANIA

AfDB's 2012 annual meeting takes place in Tanzania

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) will hold its annual meetings, themed 'Africa and the emerging global landscape: challenges and opportunities' in Arusha, Tanzania, from 28 May to 1 June 2012. Read more >>

UGANDA

Minister calls for professionalism in reporting

[Walter Wafula] Ugandan journalists and media houses have been urged to be more professional in reporting about current affairs in the country to avoid slander and misrepresentation of facts. Read more >>

AFRICA

Bharti Airtel aims for a 'Green Network' in Africa

Bharti Airtel yesterday, 13 March 2012, announced a significant milestone in its efforts to build a 'green' environment friendly mobile network and reduce its carbon footprint in Africa. As part of its commitment to the environment, the company has undertaken a series of initiatives that have started showing results. Read more >>

AFRICA

BBA7 branded 'StarGame'

[Gregory Gondwe: @Kalipochi] MultiChoice Malawi has announced that the seventh season of Big Brother Africa will be called Big Brother Africa 'StarGame'. Read more >>

UNITED STATES

Global marketing budgets to shift to emerging markets

NEW YORK, US: A survey by the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) finds that international advertisers still look to the US for best practices, but US marketers fail to pay enough attention to other markets. Global marketing budgets are shifting to emerging markets but US remains an important influence on the industry. Read more >>

INDONESIA

Publish Asia brings out the best

BALI, INDONESIA / PARIS, FRANCE / DARMSTADT, GERMANY: If evidence is still needed to illustrate the dynamic media growth in Asia, one look at this year's Publish Asia conference will provide it. Read more >>

FRANCE

Mobile News for Africa Grant Scheme launched

PARIS, FRANCE / DARMSTADT, GERMANY: The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) has launched its 2012 Mobile News Grants and Training Scheme, providing newspaper companies in Sub-Saharan Africa an opportunity to develop or expand their mobile platforms. Read more >>

UNITED KINGDOM

FIPP offers Innovations in Magazine Media World Report

LONDON, UK: From scratch and sniff to 'sapplets and the magazine as a handbag, FIPP's new Innovations in Magazine Media World Report has it covered... In its section on magazines making a buzz, among other publications around the world it looks at South Africa's Hip2B². Read more >>

UNITED STATES

NYF: Geoffrey Mason to receive Lifetime Achievement Award

NEW YORK, US: New York Festivals® International Television & Film Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Geoffrey Mason was announced as the keynote speaker for the 2012 NAB Show "Creative Master Series." Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

SA needs its mining skills: Shabangu

[Paul Vecchiatto] Government has not opened the debate on any possible reform of labour legislation and expressions by any minister that it should change was just an individual view, says Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Cele asked: Why two buildings, one owner?

Suspended police commissioner Bheki Cele could on Monday not explain the coincidence that both buildings identified for police accommodation in Durban and Pretoria were owned by one man. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

2012 tourism outlook positive

The 2011/12 summer season has proved to be a successful period for Cape Town-based hotels, which saw a noticeable year-on-year increase in occupancy figures over the December 2011 and January 2012 period. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Imperial Europe: A magical place of kings and castles, concertos and culture

[Theresa Szejwallo] There's so much to see and do in Europe - but for sheer history, culture and off-the-beaten-track discovery, there's nothing like the central and Eastern parts of this fascinating continent. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Blind Tiger Sessions with Arno Carstens

[Farah Barry] "To be able to play - and to play these weird instruments - that's what music is all about." Pithy or not, Arno Carstens knows his music. And, as it happens, he also knows his art. His series of Blind Tiger Sessions - a small part of the larger exhibition Arno Plus- has him jamming with others in the upper room of the Lovell Gallery in Woodstock. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

The art of War Horse

[Eugene Yiga] War Horse is a movie about two things: a war and a horse. The war part, as expected from a director like Steven Spielberg, is absolutely epic. That explains why the film received Oscar nominations for Best Cinematography and Best Set Design. Some of the scenes, like the charge through a German camp, are so spectacularly shot that all you can do is sit back in awe. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Long live FTTW

[Ruth Cooper] Happy-go-lucky Durban-based pop band Fire Through The Window are officially releasing first part of their two part EP, "Live Long" on 30 March. We chat to vocalist/guitarist Marc de la Querra about their imminent new release, Star Trek and Bonobo chimps. Read more >>