NIGERIA

New appointments at Scanad Nigeria

[Carole Kimutai: @CaroleKimutai] Rufai Ladipo has been appointed as the new chief executive officer of Scanad Nigeria Limited, the newest subsidiary of marketing services group of Scangroup Limited and partly owned by WPP. Fagbohun Abiodun Mesharck has also been appointed as head of media, while Kenyan Sameer Ambegaonkar has been appointed as managing consultant. The appointments are aimed at supporting the company's growth and expansion strategy in Nigeria. Read more >>

ZIMBABWE

ZBC feels the heat of competition

[Justin Tamisai Makombe] State run Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) has reduced its advertising rates by 40%, in an apparent indication which confirms that the national broadcaster is feeling the heat of competition and struggling to attract advertisers. Read more >>

CAMEROON

MTN Cameroon shines as Y'ello Care stars

A comprehensive online digital library, reportedly the first of its kind in Cameroon, and the construction of a primary school by staff, are just some of the community initiatives that have scored MTN Cameroon the coveted MTN Group President and CEO prize in this year's '21 Days of Y'ello Care' campaign. Read more >>

RWANDA

Samsung signs deal with Rwanda Government

Global electronics company, Samsung Electronics Ltd has sealed a pioneering partnership agreement with the Government of Rwanda geared at facilitating the rollout of information technology solutions. Read more >>

TANZANIA

Telesis Tanzania gets help with 4G LTE mobile broadband service

Alcatel-Lucent is to enable Telesis Tanzania to offer affordable 4G LTE services by providing mobile broadband technology, potentially stimulating economic growth as well as business and cultural life in the east African country. Read more >>

NAMIBIA

eLearning Africa 2013: Call for proposals now open

Are the changes to education and skills development systems sustainable? How are African youth shaping their identities and navigating different learning spaces with these technologies? And are new technologies fundamentally disruptive to tradition? These are some of the key questions that will form the focus of eLearning Africa 2013, which takes place from 29-31 May 2013 at Safari Conference Centre in Windhoek, Namibia. The call for proposals is now open and will close on 11 January 2013. Read more >>

SENEGAL

Innovation prize for Africa extends deadline

Due to the high demand from African innovators, The African Innovation Foundation (AIF) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) have extended the deadline for submitting entries to the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) to Friday, 30 November 2012. Read more >>

AFRICA

Beyond apps - Does your 2013 customer engagement strategy include mobile?

[Mongezi Mtati] There has been an increase in interest and activity in web and mobile applications over the past year. In October/November 2012, there are three important conferences focused on this developing arena, including Demo Africa, Tech4Africa and Mobile Web Africa. Read more >>

AFRICA

MTN records 182,7 million subscribers

MTN reportedly delivered a satisfactory set of results for the quarter ended 30 September 2012, increasing subscriber numbers by 3.8% to 182,7 million. The company's performance was underpinned by solid operational management and the rollout of appealing value propositions despite aggressive pricing competition, regulations and economic challenges across the different markets in which the group operates. Read more >>

AFRICA

DUO expands footprint into Nigeria, Kenya

Following an increased demand from its clients, specialist ICT marketing and PR agency, DUO Marketing + Communications has announced it will be expanding its presence into Nigeria and Kenya. Read more >>

AFRICA

Business opportunities for Africa

Africa, previously the poster child for poverty, famine, disease, decaying infrastructures, corruption, conflict, crime and brutal violence, is now a continent where wise investments can offer high rates of return, as the 54 different nations that inhabit it enjoy a prolonged spurt of economic growth. Its vast mineral wealth, together with the infrastructural developments taking place, have made Africa increasingly attractive to foreign investment. Read more >>

FRANCE

French president warns Google over revenue row

PARIS, FRANCE: French President Francois Hollande called on Monday on Google to come to a deal over an advertising revenue row, warning that if necessary, a bill could be adopted to force Internet search engines to pay for media content. Read more >>

UNITED STATES

US newspapers gain online, but print lags

WASHINGTON, US: US daily newspapers gained online readers over the past six months, but not enough to make up for declining print circulation, industry data showed Tuesday. Read more >>

AUSTRALIA

Smartphones drive complaints spike in Australia

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Complaints about mobile phones to Australia's telecoms watchdog jumped 9% in a year, accounting for two-thirds of all gripes received due to growing smartphone use, a study said on Monday. Read more >>

UNITED STATES

Google unveils large tablet, revamped Nexus line-up

NEW YORK, US: Google yesterday unveiled a large-format tablet computer to compete against the original iPad as part of a revamped line of its Nexus devices, and touted a new music service for Europe. Read more >>

AUSTRALIA

Freelancer.com reveals the 50 fastest growing online jobs for Q3 2012

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Android jobs ricochet back as Apple iOS jobs stagnate; The interactive web continues to fly; eBay jobs return as the marketplace announces changes and a makeover; confidence returns to Facebook jobs as marketers return in the wake of the IPO flop; the transition to the paperless office booms; Internet Marketing rebounds in the wake of Google panic. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Census results on service delivery surprising

In a country where much is made of the lack of service delivery, a surprising element of the Census 2011 results is the story it tells about service delivery in the past decade. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

SA's population at 51.7 million

South Africa's population has swelled from 40.5 million in 1996 to 51.7 million in 2011, results of Census 2011 have shown. In the previous Census conducted in 2001, South Africa's population stood at 44.8 million. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Fiscus can't sustain e-toll uncertainty: Gordhan

[Linda Ensor] The fiscus could not sustain any further prolonged period of uncertainty over the manner in which the R20bn cost of the Gauteng freeway would be funded by the South African National Road Agency (Sanral)‚ Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan said on Friday. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Media focus on ANC battles: Zuma

Media and commentators are eager to focus on "perceived battles" in the ANC ahead of its elective conference in Mangaung, instead of the party's policies, President Jacob Zuma said yesterday. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

V40 is Volvo's new sparkling gem

[Henrie Geyser: motoring editor] The exciting new Volvo B40 range has strutted on to the local motoring stage with all the cheek and bravado of a new car that has just recently been unveiled in Europe to the equivalent of a standing ovation by international motoring writers - and with good reason, because this is the most exciting and most impressive Volvo yet to flow from the marriage between the Swedes and their Chinese rescuers. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

SA Car of the Year finalists

[Henrie Geyser: motoring editor] The South African Guild of Motoring Journalists has announced the 12 finalists in the running for this year's coveted title of SA Car of the Year. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Stop at Ambre

[Rod Baker] Feel like a family getaway with the kids? What a silly question - and if you want a reasonably priced holiday for yourselves as a couple, for your honeymoon, or for the family (and maybe even the family and your honeymoon), checking out Ambre, Mauritius, would be one of your better moves. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

SAA resumes flights to US

Following the Hurricane Sandy in the US which resulted in some flights being cancelled, South African Airways (SAA) has resumed its operations on its Johannesburg to Washington DC (via Dakar) route. Read more >>

UNITED STATES

Travel chaos looms as US storm cancels flights

NEW YORK, US: A day of transatlantic travel chaos loomed on Sunday as airlines cancelled thousands of flights to and from airports up and down the US East Coast ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Sandy. Read more >>