SOUTH AFRICA

[Thought Leadership Digibate] 09: Digital, mobile research in Africa

[Ingrid von Stein] The ninth Thought Leadership Digibate, recently hosted by Aegis Media in conjunction with Bizcommunity.com in Cape Town, focused on the relevance of digital and mobile research in Africa. If you missed the Digibate, download or listen to the podcast which is now available. Read more >>

TUNISIA

Tunisian journalists look to build free press

[Houda Trabelsi] Reporters in Tunisia say they face pressure that undermines their financial and editorial independence. Read more >>

CAMEROON

In Cameroon, journalists given suspended prison terms

NEW YORK: The Committee to Protect Journalists has condemned Monday's, 3 December 2012, criminal convictions of three Cameroonian journalists who tried to investigate a purported government memo that suggested corruption in the management of a state oil company. Read more >>

NIGERIA

Alcatel-Lucent, Main One Cable Company extend maintenance contract

Alcatel-Lucent and Main One Cable Company Limited, have renewed their marine maintenance contract for Main One's submarine cable system connecting Portugal to Nigeria over 7 000 km and contributing to enhance overall African and international connectivity. Read more >>

UGANDA

AfDB approves Uganda Support to Higher Education, Science and Technology Project

TUNIS, Tunisia: The board of directors of the African Development Bank during late November approved the Uganda Support to Higher Education, Science and Technology Project, a key human development operation that will contribute to the economic and social transformation of Uganda and the East African sub-region. Read more >>

AFRICA

Take Forbes' ranking with pinch of salt

[Kintu Nyago] It's heartening for Forbes business magazine to list Uganda's Sudhir Ruparelia as the wealthiest East African. Though it is remarkable for Ruparelia to graduate, in a mere 27 years, from being a London cab driver into a respectable dollar billionaire, we need to take Forbes' claim with a 'pinch of salt'. Read more >>

DEM. REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

Orange to launch in the DRC

Orange has announced the launch of its operations under the Orange brand in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, giving a new dynamic to operations marketed until now under the CCT brand. Read more >>

AFRICA

Fortune favours the informed - the African paradox

JOHANNESBURG: According to Delta Partners, Africa is unquestionably a continent of opportunity - its sheer size, rapid economic growth, expanding middle class and steadily improving governance indicators provide ample justification for optimism. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

MTN's got its business brains in the cloud

[Thabiso Mochiko] MTN Business has launched a pilot project for its MTN cloud bouquet of services that will among other things provide a single point of contact for its customers‚ it said on Thursday (6 December). Read more >>

AFRICA

Footballers give malaria the boot

Africa's most admired football superstars have added their voices to the United Against Malaria (UAM) campaign that will be distributing malaria prevention and treatment messages during the 2013 Orange Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) tournament in South Africa. Read more >>

UNITED STATES

US online holiday spending surpasses US$21bn, up 14% vs last year

RESTON, US: comScore, a leader in measuring the digital world, today reported holiday season retail e-commerce spending for the first 32 days of the November-December 2012 holiday season. For the holiday season-to-date US$21.4bn has been spent online, marking a 14% increase versus the corresponding days last year. Read more >>

UNITED STATES

Android now has 68,2% of smartphone market

WASHINGTON, US: Google's Android operating system will power more than two-thirds of smartphones sold worldwide in 2012, and will remain the dominant platform for at least the next four years, a survey showed on Tuesday (4 December). Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Farmers, unions urged to negotiate in good faith

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson has urged representatives of Agri-SA and unions to negotiate in good faith for the minimum wage demand for farmworkers. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Calls to make sign language official

[Gabi Khumalo] The dream of people living with disabilities to have sign language added to South Africa's official language list might become a reality. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Volkswagen's blue is the new green

[Henrie Geyser: motoring editor] Thanks to a technological magic wand that turns blue into green I recently drove a sexy four-door coupe at a less then leisurely pace from Gansbaai to Hout Bay using an average of just 5.8 litres/100km of costly juice for the journey. Read more >>