SOUTH AFRICA

[Biz Takeouts Lineup] 30: The growth, future and commercialisation of online radio

This week's Biz Takeouts Marketing & Media radio show, streamed live 5pm-6pm via 2oceansVibe Radio, will focus on internet radio, the growth, future and the commercialisation of online radio. The studio guest this Wednesday evening, 18 July 2012, will be terrestrial radio veteran and one of the founders of 2oceansVibe Radio, Richard Hardiman. [twitterfall] Read more >>

AFRICA

UMT Consulting SA rebrands as TPG Africa

UMT Consulting SA, a local Project, Program and Project Portfolio Management (PPPM) solutions provider, has announced that it has joined forces with TPG The Project Group (GmbH) in Germany, a provider of Enterprise Project Management (EPM) solutions and services, and has been rebranded as TPG Africa. Read more >>

KENYA

Banking sector goes digital with online event

[Carole Kimutai: @CaroleKimutai] The newly rebranded industry body Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) has turned to social media in a strategy aimed at creating a platform where members of the public can engage senior executives in the banking sector. The online event is part of a wider plan by the industry umbrella body to engage stakeholders and increase awareness and knowledge about the banking industry. Read more >>

SUDAN

Sudan university cuts classes after demos

KHARTOUM, SUDAN: Administrators at Sudan's main university have partially shut down the campus, sources at the institution said on Sunday, 15 July 2012, after several Arab Spring-style student protests sparked by high inflation. Read more >>

AFRICA

Africa gears up for meaningful engagement with China

African nations must use the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) to complement the continent's regional institutions and policy agenda, and partnership with China should aim to boost Africa's overall capacity, competitiveness and trade in a way that supports African development, according to a report released on Monday, 16 July 2012, co-authored by Standard Bank economists Jeremy Stevens and Simon Freemantle, as the fifth FOCAC summit in Beijing, China, commences on 19 July 2012. Read more >>

DEM. REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

Ugandan journalists held in DR Congo

Government authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have arrested three Ugandan journalists for allegedly entering the country without proper documents and permission. Read more >>

NIGERIA

Bailey quits Glo over salary dispute

[Duncan McLeod: @mcleodd] Former Virgin Mobile SA CEO Steve Bailey has quit Nigeria's Glo Mobile after only a month on the job. Bailey resigned from Virgin at the end of May to take on the role of chief commercial officer at Glo, which is the second largest mobile phone operator in Nigeria after MTN. Read more >>

AFRICA

MTN employees to fly Mandela Day flag in Africa

MTN employees will today, 18 July 2012, join multitudes of people and organisations around the world to observe Mandela Day in celebration of Nelson Mandela's 94th birthday. Read more >>

ZAMBIA

Zambian newspaper staff strike over pay

LUSAKA: About 270 journalists and other workers at the state-run Times of Zambia went on strike on Monday, 16 July 2012, to demand their unpaid salaries from last month, a union official said. Read more >>

SWAZILAND

Swaziland state suspends two newspaper editors

MBABANE: Swaziland's state daily newspaper has suspended two senior editors, it said Monday, 16 July 2012, after a series of critical reports on Africa's last absolute monarchy. Read more >>

AFRICA

iROKO Partners closes on $2m funding

iROKO Partners, the online distributor of Nigerian movies and music, announced yesterday, 17 July 2012, that it has closed on a final round of funding, totaling US$2m, from Swedish-based Kinnevik, an early investor in Groupon. Read more >>

AFRICA

Networx PR to handle AfricaCom 2012

Networx PR, a communications agency specialising in the ICT, media and telecommunications sector, has been reappointed as the public relations partner for Informa Telecoms & Media's, AfricaCom 2012 under the theme 'Reaching the Next Frontier for Growth', which is set to take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), South Africa, from 13-15 November 2012. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Silveray Statmark acquires distribution rights for Leitz

Silveray Statmark Company (SSC), a Bidvest Group company has acquired the distribution rights for Leitz workspace products, a brand that has been synonymous with the highest quality in office accessories, throughout Europe, the America's and Asia. Read more >>

UGANDA

[Executive Check] Mobile pay-TV takes shape in Uganda

[Walter Wafula] The mobile phone is changing lifestyles and the business landscape in Africa. Many companies are innovating around the technology to thrive and remain relevant to their customers. Simon Arineitwe, country sales manager at StarTimes Uganda, speaks about the benefits of mobile TV and the firm's plans for the country. Read more >>

UNITED KINGDOM

BBC: Another year of strong growth in sales, profits

LONDON, UK: BBC Worldwide will today publish its Annual Review for 2011/12 showing an 8% rise in headline profit to £155m (2010/11: £144m). Profit before tax of £104m (2010/11: £92m excluding gains on disposals) is up 13% on a like for like basis. The company grew headline sales by 5% to £1085m in the 12 months to 31 March 2012 (2010/11: £1030m). These figures exclude the BBC Magazine titles sold and licensed in the year. Read more >>

RUSSIA

Russia considers 'foreign agent' law for media

MOSCOW, RUSSIA: Russia could pass a law labelling media that gets funding from abroad as "foreign agents", a report said Monday, after the parliament approved a similar bill on NGOs. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

YouTube becoming major news platform

WASHINGTON, US: YouTube, the Google-owned video sharing website, has become a major platform around the world for news, posing challenges to media organisations, a study said on Monday. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Microsoft revamps Office with 'cloud' links

SAN FRANCISCO, US: Microsoft on Monday unveiled next-generation Office software overhauled to stay popular with people using tablets or smartphones to access programs in the Internet "cloud." Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Facebook buys mobile gadget focused Spool

SAN FRANCISCO, US: Facebook added more mobile technology to its arsenal with the acquisition of Spool, a start-up specialising in bookmarking and sharing content on smartphones or tablets. Read more >>

GERMANY

The Talking Tree

BERLIN, GERMANY: To strengthen their green brand core, Siemens aimed to further position themselves as an environmentally friendly and ecologically sustainable company. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

SA, world unite to celebrate Madiba legacy

Today, South Africa and the world come together to celebrate world icon and former President Nelson Mandela's 94th birthday, as well as the ideals he stands for. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

New forensic lab to help police outsmart criminals

The launch of a state-of-the-art forensic laboratory in Cape Town, by the Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa yesterday, is to help police to fight crime more smartly. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

State shuns money from abroad for Telkom

Communications Minister Dina Pule says Telkom does not need foreign direct investment to achieve its turnaround strategy - all it requires are skills and competency‚ Business Day reported yesterday. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Education dept welcomes Metcalfe's report

[Nthambeleni Gabara] The Department of Education has welcomed the report compiled by Professor Mary Metcalf into the delivery of textbooks to Limpopo schools. It says that the report adequately captures the complexities of the Section 100 (1)(b) intervention in that province and the difficulties experience by national government in terms of the provision of textbooks to schools in Limpopo. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Youth want govt to consider their views

Young people attending the second annual Nelson Mandela Children's Parliament have appealed to government to take their views into account when developing policy and programmes that affect them. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

ConCourt clarifies victims of violent and/or destructive gatherings' right to claim damages

[Keshni Pillay] While the South African Constitution allows everyone the rights to picket, present petitions, demonstrate and assemble peacefully and unarmed, the sad reality is that these gatherings often turn violent and destructive. The recourse for victims of this kind of violence was recently clarified by the Constitutional Court. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Much song and dance on MSC Opera, MSC Sinfonia

Cruising is well known to be one of South Africa's favourite holiday options. The reason is simple - exceptional on board entertainment choice, so no matter what your age or taste you will be sure to find something to suit your style! Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Remember The Woman In Black

[Daniel Dercksen] Arousing the horror that lurks within a gothic mystery is a terrifying experience and proves that graphic dramatic action or blood and gore are no substitute for real fear. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

John Legend to play one-off Joburg show

John Legend is to return to South Africa for an exclusive and intimate show to celebrate Woman's Day on 10 August, 2012. He will play at the Sandton Convention City and will be supported by SA songstress / Idols judge Unathi Msengana and multiple SAMA winners MiCasa. Read more >>