SOUTH AFRICA

Fifth Thought Leadership Digibate on marketing, media trends to be in Joburg

Following the recent publication of the 2012 Biz Trends Report, sponsored by Aegis Media, some of the key trend topics will be brought alive at the fifth Thought Leadership Digibate on Friday, 4 May 2012. Hosted by Aegis Media in conjunction with Bizcommunity.com, for the first time this monthly debate will be held in Johannesburg and broadcast live via mobile or pc audio-streaming, 9.15am-11am. Read more >>

THE GAMBIA

APAI calls on ACHPR to advance the right to access information

The African Platform on Access to Information (APAI), an intercontinental initiative to promote access to information on the continent, took the campaign a step further in its address to the 51st session of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights. Read more >>

NIGERIA

Africa Movie Academy Awards winners announced

Airtel Nigeria demonstrated its commitment to the development of the creative industry in Africa as it joined organisers of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) to honour, reward and celebrate accomplished African movie stars at an awards ceremony held at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos on Sunday, 22 April 2012. Read more >>

AFRICA

Rest of Africa drags down Altech full-year results

[Duncan McLeod: @mcleodd] Technology group Altech has reported a 27% decrease in adjusted headline earnings per share, from 529c to 388c, on poor performance from its operations in West Africa and continuing underperformance of its businesses in East Africa. Read more >>

WEST AFRICA

Media's role underscored

Liberia Telecommunication Authority (LTA) consumer manager, Musue Haddad, has told students aspiring to become full-blooded media personnel to pursue their dream, notwithstanding the professional challenges. Read more >>

EGYPT

2012 Cairo ICT begins tomorrow

Showcasing Egypt's growing reputation for ICT excellence, the country will host the Cairo ICT 2012 under the theme 'The Spring of Technologies - From Dreams to Needs' from tomorrow, 26 April 2012, and will culminate with the World Summit Awards (WSA). Read more >>

MALAWI

Late Mutharika still fights media

[Gregory Gondwe: @Kalipochi] Although the late president of Malawi, Bingu wa Mutharika has passed, his past relationship with the media still continues to show face. Read more >>

SOMALIA

Journalist wounded, another beat up by police

The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) is alarmed by the journalist slightly wounded by a stray bullet in Mogadishu on Tuesday evening around 6.30pm local time, while the union condemns the police beat up of a journalist in Mogadishu on 23 April 2012. Read more >>

TANZANIA

2012 African Banker Awards shortlist announced

The African Banker Awards has released the shortlist of nominees for the 2012 competition. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 30 May 2012, which makes its debut in Africa. This year's event coincides with the annual African Development Bank (AfDB) meetings in Arusha, Tanzania Read more >>

UNITED STATES

For display ads, being seen matters more than being clicked

SAN FRANCISCO / RESTON, US: comScore, Inc and Pretarget, the intent targeting company, have released results of an online advertising study which found that ad viewability and hover time are more strongly correlated with conversions (defined as purchases and requests for information) than clicks or total impressions. Read more >>

PORTUGAL

Eurobest returns to Lisbon

LISBON, PORTUGAL: The 5th Eurobest Festival of Creativity, Europe's leading inspirational, learning and networking event for the advertising and communications industry and the largest annual awards for European creative communications, which this year celebrates 25 years, will be held for the second year in a row in Lisbon, Portugal, on 28-30 November this year. Read more >>

UNITED STATES

NYF International Advertising Awards: 2012 Shortlist

NEW YORK, US: New York Festivals International Advertising Awards, honouring the World's Best Advertising, announced the 2012 Shortlist for the following 14 competitions: Art/Technique/Technology, Avant-Garde, Commercials, Collateral, Design, Integrated Mixed Media, Interactive, Hispanic, Marketing Effectiveness, Outdoor/Out of Home, Print, Public Relations, Public Service Announcements, and Student. Read more >>

SINGAPORE

Spikes Asia 2012 open for delegate registrations

SINGAPORE: Spikes Asia, the regional Asia Pacific Awards and Festival for creative excellence in advertising and communications, is now open for delegate registrations. Read more >>

TURKEY

The holiday's over

ANKARA, TURKEY: Nothing says, 'Holiday's over, hello real world' more than dirty laundry. Post vacation blues hit the best of us and a bag of dirty laundry is last thing a person wants to imagine after a luxury holiday. Ariel sought to target its product with this audience in mind. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

JSC calls for more candidates for the bench

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has appealed to suitably qualified candidates to make themselves available for positions on the bench. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

'More effective IDC increases loan approvals by 35%

The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) has increased its turnaround time for approval of loans to businesses and has increased loans approvals by over 35%, the Minister of Economic Development Ebrahim Patel said in his Budget Vote speech this week. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Labour reviews private security sectoral determination

The Department of Labour (DoL) has kick-started a series of national public hearings on reviewing the Private Security Sectoral Determination following a notice by the Minister. This, according to the department, forms as part of an investigation to review wages and conditions of employment in the sector. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

E-toll interdict application to be heard today

The High Court in Pretoria will hear an application by the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) today for an urgent interdict preventing Sanral from launching the e-toll system. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

African countries need more connectivity - Dlamini Zuma

Home Affairs Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, has called for greater connectivity between African countries, saying it would aid trade and improve relations. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

IDC balance sheet will boost new small business agency - Patel

The Small Enterprise Finance Agency (Sefa) will have access to millions of rands of funding from the balance sheet of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), says the Minister of Economic Development Ebrahim Patel. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

The Avengers is Hollywood at its best

[Daniel Dercksen] For anyone who has ever marvelled at the spectacle and awe of iconic Marvel Super Heroes; Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Hawkeye and Black Widow, will be bowled over by the magnificence of one of the biggest action adventures films ever. It opens in South Africa on April 26, a week before its release in America. We are fortunate to be one of the first countries to see it! Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

All creatures great and small in One Life

[Eugene Yiga] There are millions of species on the planet. It is ironic, then, that most movies are about human beings. Well, BBC Earth Films is trying to shift the balance. After the highly successful and beautifully made Earth, they've come out with another masterpiece in One Life. Read more >>