SOUTH AFRICA

What is content marketing?

[Athar Naser] Content marketing is the latest buzzword in the digital marketing sphere. It's a solution to connecting with today's savvy consumer who has become very good at tuning out media noise they're not interested in. Traditional advertising is no longer effective and rather than telling the consumer to "buy now", brands should be telling the consumer what they want to know. Read more >>

NIGERIA

MTN Nigeria tops advertising spenders

[Henry Ifeanyi] Nigeria's media independent agency, MediaReach OMD has revealed that MTN Nigeria topped the highest list of spenders on advertising in the country with over $4million in 2011. Read more >>

AFRICA

Expanding your brand across Africa

[Nonye Mpho Omotola] Many companies talk about expanding into Africa. It's the next obvious frontier. However, it would be wrong to assume that a week's visit to Nigeria for example, with a population of over 160 million and 350 ethnic groups with twelve languages, will give you a true understanding of how to operate your brand in that market. Read more >>

MALAWI

Media get training on social media reporting

[Gregory Gondwe: @Kalipochi] An American multimedia expert has been training with media practitioners in Malawi in social media, earning himself praise from the local media fraternity which describes the undertaking as very enlightening. Read more >>

KENYA

Think with Google

[Peter Nalika] In the past, Google has had the "G-Day", a day set to display its various products and technologies to different industries. This year, this norm was changed with a series of workshops hosted at an incubation hub in Nairobi. Read more >>

AFRICA

All set for AfricaCom 2012

A recorded 8 000 people, an increase of 25% from 2011, and those from 2 000 companies from across 112 countries around the world are expected to attend the annual AfricaCom conference and exhibition in Cape Town, South Africa, from 13-15 November 2012. Read more >>

KENYA

Just published: Dynamic Media Market in Kenya

Among all the world's media markets, the size and state of African media are least understood, due to a lack of viable data and research. A new report on media in Kenya, released on Thursday, 8 November 2012, by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the African Media Initiative, is a step toward filling this knowledge gap. Read more >>

ZIMBABWE

Econet offers lowest regional call charges

[Marcus Mushonga] Zimbabweans in South Africa can now enjoy reduced call rates to their country thanks to a new initiative by Econet Wireless and Econet Wireless South Africa. Read more >>

KENYA

Mi-Fone appoints Kenya country manager

Mi-Fone has appointed Victor Odada as the country manager of Kenya to increase the presence of the mobile devices brand in Kenya. Odada will be in charge of developing customer and business relationships that will help meet the dynamic needs of the mass-market sector in Kenya. Read more >>

GHANA

Adesina appointed editor-in-chief of The Guardian

Indications emerged Tuesday [6 October 2012] that the management of The Guardian Newspapers may have effected some changes in the senior editorial positions of the media organisation with the elevation of Debo Adesina to editor-in-chief of the newspaper. The newspaper also confirmed Martins Oloja the editor of The Guardian. Read more >>

UGANDA

NTV tops social media use in Uganda

[Walter Wafula] Nation Television (NTV) is the savviest user of global social media networks in Uganda according to Top Corporate Brand on Social Media 2012, an online survey by HiPio.com, a social entertainment website in the country. Read more >>

UNITED STATES

Twitter 'unintentionally' resets passwords

SAN FRANCISCO, USA: Some people logging onto Twitter this week had their passwords reset after a routine security precaution was applied to more users than intended. Read more >>

UNITED STATES

Apple must pay US$368m for patent infringement

WASHINGTON, UNITES STATES: Apple has been ordered to pay US$368M for patent infringement in its use of Facetime, an application that allows for video calls on mobile devices, the plaintiff said on Wednesday. Read more >>

SPAIN

Spain's Telefonica turns to Latin America for profits

MADRID, SPAIN: Spanish telecoms titan Telefonica erased the red ink and posted a third-quarter profit on Wednesday as it turned away from crisis-hit Europe to find riches in Latin America. Read more >>

UNITED STATES

Apple targets Google in patent suit

SAN FRANCISCO, US: A US judge on Wednesday was considering a request by Apple that would pull Google from the sidelines in a long-running patent war with Samsung over mobile gadgets powered by Android software. Read more >>

UNITED STATES

comScore reports US$41.9bn in Q3 2012 US retail e-commerce spending

RESTON, US: comScore Inc, a leader in measuring the digital world, today released its Q3 2012 US retail e-commerce sales estimates, showing that online retail spending reached US$41.9bn for the quarter, up 15% versus year ago. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Dti clarifies revised B-BBEE codes

PRETORIA: The Department of Trade and Industry has clarified media reports stating that the revised Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Codes could ruin charities, saying the B-BBEE process contributes to economic transformation while seeking to create an equitable society. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Monitoring, evaluation improves service delivery

PRETORIA: The Ministry for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation has, since its establishment, introduced a range of performance monitoring and evaluation practices that have made government effective, President Jacob Zuma said. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

E-tags will be used in other provinces

The e-tag system will be rolled out at toll plazas in provinces other than Gauteng, Sanral said on Wednesday. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Ministers must crack the whip on corrupt officials

[Dennis Cruywagen] The chairperson of Parliament's Public Service and Administration Portfolio Committee, Joyce Moloi-Moropa, has sent a stern warning to Cabinet ministers who do not crack down on corruption - saying they will have to face her committee and explain their inaction. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Motlanthe calls for mines to change conditions of employment

[Dennis Cruywagen] Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe has called on mining houses to change their conditions of employment to enable miners to visit their homes and see their families more often. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

The Marine - where you can have a whale of a time

[Brian Berkman: contributing editor, travel] One of my first hotel visits as a travel writer a long while ago was to The Marine in Hermanus. Even then, it was the premier place to stay. I tried to find my review of that first visit to refresh my memory of our experience but I couldn't. However... Read more >>