UGANDA

Editors get opportunity to better understand oil, gas industries

[Walter Wafula] Print, broadcast and online media editors have an opportunity to improve their understanding of critical issues in Uganda's oil and gas industry following the announcement of a new programme by the African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME). Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Cindy Gallop on PromaxBDA Africa 2012 programme

PromaxBDA Africa 2012, being held on 26 October 2012 at the Sandton Convention Centre, has announced the addition of advertising, brand-building and marketing guru, Cindy Gallop, at the programme. Read more >>

AFRICA

African News Innovation Challenge announces finalists

40 pioneering digital journalism projects have been shortlisted as finalists in the inaugural African News Innovation Challenge (ANIC) that Google launched in May this year. Read more >>

ZIMBABWE

Focus on development

Journalists have been challenged to focus more on developmental issues and desist from expending energy on negatives. The Lord Provides director, Jonathan Gapare made the call at the weekend in Chivi after his appointment as patron of the newly-formed Masvingo Journalists Development Forum. Read more >>

ZIMBABWE

Econet offers free to recharge service

[Tapiwa Gurajena] Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has reportedly become the first cell phone operator to offer its customers a free service to recharge their cell phones. Read more >>

AFRICA

Why African social networks kick Facebook's mobile experience in the ass

[Vanessa Clark] Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and the rest of their ilk are taking over the world, right, and forming a homogenous mass of consumer data and eyeballs across the globe from which no one can escape. Or not. Read more >>

RWANDA

RURA to launch study on mobile usage

[Fred Buteera] Rwanda Utilities and Regularity Authority (RURA) will, by the end of this year, conduct a study on the use of mobile phones among the rural population to establish areas with rapid mobile phone and internet penetration. Read more >>

AFRICA

No MTN staff killed in attacks on base station

Following reports that four MTN staff were killed by Islamic group, Boko Haram, while trying to bomb the company's base station in Maiduguri, Nigeria last week, Rich Mkhondo, MTN Group spokesperson has issued a statement claiming that 'No MTN staff was killed'. Read more >>

AFRICA

Paynet ready to launch issuing facility in East Africa

Card processor and electronic payments solutions provider, Paynet Group, has announced that its issuing facility for EMV Chip Cards should be ready for launch by early November this year and not in 2013 as expected. This means that adoption of antifraud card technology by banks in the region is imminent. Read more >>

KENYA

South African Tourism to open office in Nairobi

South African Tourism (SAT) plans to open a regional office in Nairobi during the 2013-2014 financial year, South African Tourism director for Domestic, Africa and Middle East, Phumi Ndlomo has disclosed. Read more >>

SWAZILAND

State TV airs critical report on King

Two journalists at the state-censored Swazi TV were suspended from work for allowing an unauthorised item about King Mswati III to appear in a news bulletin. Read more >>

PORTUGAL

Sir John Hegarty takes on jury president role at Eurobest

LISBON, PORTUGAL: Eurobest, claimed to be Europe's premier and largest creative communications festival, has announced that advertising legend Sir John Hegarty, founder - creative of Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) will chair the Film, Print, Print & Poster Craft and Integrated juries. Read more >>

SINGAPORE

Creativity is top of the agenda at Young Spikes Marketers Academy

SINGAPORE: Cinemark is the official local representative of Cannes Lions and its affiliates. For a second year, the Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity is offering young marketers an unrivalled opportunity to understand better the impact that creativity can have on their business. The Academy runs across the three-day Festival, providing an inspiring and enhanced learning environment, from 16-18 September 2012. Read more >>

UNITED STATES

Western Digital Investor Day set for 13 September

IRVINE, US: Western Digital has announced that at its Investor Day on 13 September 2012, executives will discuss the company's vision for the evolution of storage, its market positions, its strategies and technologies for addressing multiple growth opportunities, as well as its business model and capital allocation strategy. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

REIT tax proposals restricts foreign property investment

[Peter Dachs and Bernard du Plessis*] The long-awaited Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) tax proposals have been introduced as part of the recent Draft Taxation Laws Amendment Bill. While the effective date will only be an undetermined future date to be announced by the Minister of Finance, the proposals seek to standardise the tax treatment of Property Unit Trusts (PUT) and Property Loan Stock (PLS) companies. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Employment equity law to be strengthened - Oliphant

The Department of Labour intends introducing proposals to strengthen companies' compliance with the Employment Equity Act, said Minister of Labour Mildred Oliphant. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

CEOs urged to do more for women empowerment

Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, Lulu Xingwana, has urged all CEOs to become ambassadors of women empowerment and gender equality in their respective companies and industries. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

A strong brick for SA's development

South Africa's BRICS membership remains crucial for the country's economic development and that of the continent, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said today. She defended South Africa's decision to join the economic bloc in 2010. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Consumers taking much longer to pay off their cars - TransUnion

The average time taken by South African consumers to settle their vehicle finance contracts has almost doubled over the past five years, according to TransUnion Auto Information Solutions. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

[10 Things I Love About...] Working in the luxury hospitality industry

[Brian Berkman: contributing editor, travel] Brian Berkman, Contributing Travel Editor, had a chat to Gaby Gramm, Graham Beck hospitality manager For Steenberg (Voted by Condé Nast Traveler US on its 2012 Gold List as one of the Top 500 Experiences in the World). He asked her what are her 10 things she loves about working in the luxury hospitality industry. A great deal, it seems. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Biko's Quest

We have heard the new-age adage "less is more". This is surely the case with this amazing production about a man who is remembered for his teachings, a man of many words. Biko's Quest is a portrayal of the life and death of one of South Africa's political martyrs, Steve Bantu Biko. It draws its original work from the Steve Biko Foundation's exhibition: "Biko's Quest - for a True Humanity". It translates photography into dance, song and performance. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Hell hath no fury like medEia

[Eugene Yiga] The Mail & Guardian called it the best production of the decade. Now, after recent performances in Switzerland (and before it continues on a European tour), medEia will be showing at the Baxter Theatre, Cape Town for only four nights. Read more >>