SOUTH AFRICA

[2013 trends] Africa's dynamic markets

[Obaika Consulting Team] The year 2013 for most brands, especially the ones coping with saturated markets in developed countries, will be a decisive one. Incorporating Africa into their corporate brand strategy, if they haven't done so, will be the better part of valour, so to speak. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

[2013 trends] Out-of-the-box branding

[HKLM Exco Team] No, the concepts of "tribalism", "gamification" and "engagement" aren't a promo for the latest computer game, but are in fact the trends that will characterise the way companies and consumers interact in 2013. The branding industry is constantly developing and. while the following trends are evolutions rather than dynamic, short-term changes, we believe there are 10 areas that will define the brandscape over the next year. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

[2013 trends] SA's youth trend-o-meter

[HDI Youth Marketeers Team] Young South Africa is savvier than ever before. If you are looking for a smart and discerning prosumer, this group of kids, teens and young adults will give you more kicks than you've ever bargained for. They know just what they are looking for from any brand, and this makes them that much more satisfying to please. Here are a few trends to look out for in 2013. Read more >>

SUDAN

Press freedom in South Sudan deteriorates

South Sudan slipped 12 places in the annual press freedom index published by Reporters Without Borders (RWB) on Wednesday, 30 January 2013, leaving it at 124th out of the 180 countries ranked. Read more >>

SUDAN

Sudan occupies bottom 10 of Press Freedom Index - Report

For the second year in a row, Sudan occupies one of the worst positions in the press freedom index 2013 published on Wednesday, 30 January 2013 by Reporters Without Borders. Out of the 179 countries included in the list, Sudan occupies number 170. Read more >>

AFRICA

The time for Africa is now

[Abraham Thomas] According to the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Africa Development Bank, Africa's economy is estimated to grow between 5.5 and 6% in 2012, outpacing projected growth rates in Europe and North America. At the same time, Africa's middle class now accounts for 34% of the continent's population, with individuals under 30 years of age, making up the largest age group. Many of these young African men and women are university educated, unemployed or underemployed. Read more >>

AFRICA

Samsung gives youth a voice at Orange AFCON 2013

Samsung Electronics, an official sponsor of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations, South Africa 2013, launched its Samsung Youth Reporter Programme as part of the company's involvement in the tournament. Read more >>

AFRICA

Meet the new BlackBerrys

Here they are, the first two devices running BlackBerry 10. The Z10 is an all-touch affair, while the Q10 offers a touch screen and a Qwerty keyboard. Both are premium devices. Read more >>

AFRICA

The ONE Campaign aims to bring African voices to the table

As the current Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) expire in 2015, The ONE Campaign, an international grassroots advocacy backed by more than 3 million members worldwide, is launching an initiative to make sure the world's poorest people have a say in the development of the next set of goals to eradicate extreme poverty. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

The mobile retail revolution

[Bevan Ducasse] The 2012 African Mobile Factbook (Blycroft Publishing) revealed a few interesting revelations. We know that commerce in Africa is steadily becoming dependent on mobile. Some analysts are even predicting that Africa will become the world's first post-PC region of the world, with countries such as Botswana, Gabon and South Africa having a mobile penetration of more than 100%. And with mobile being such a pervasive, sophisticated, and personal device, comes new and exciting opportunities. Read more >>

FRANCE

Most dangerous countries for journalists: Syria and Somalia

PARIS, FRANCE / DARMSTADT, GERMANY: On-going armed conflicts and insurgency make Syria and Somalia the world's most dangerous places for journalists, according to the annual figures on journalist deaths compiled by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA). Read more >>

UNITED STATES

NYF: Television & Film Awards finalists for 2013 competition

NEW YORK, US: New York Festivals International Television & Film Awards, now in its 56th year of honouring the World's Best TV & Films, announced the 2013 Finalists. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Property Barometer - Emigration and foriegn buying

2012 won't go down as one of South Africa's great economic years. It wasn't bad if one looks at overall economic growth for the year. But it was very much a "tale of two halves", with the first half showing reasonable growth, whereas by the thrid quarter there was mounting pressure on the economy from widespread industrial action most notably, though not only, in the mining sector. Read more >>

UNITED STATES

Microsoft's Office now in the clouds

SAN FRANCISCO, USA: Microsoft on Tuesday (29 January) began letting people subscribe to Office as a service in the Internet cloud, shedding the need to buy the popular productivity software on a disk. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Pretoria train crash - cable theft the cause?

Two passenger trains packed with communters and school children collided near outside Pretoria on Thursday (31 January). At least two people died, 19 were in a critical condition and more than 150 people were hospitalised, Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

SARS applies for Malema's sequestration

The SA Revenue Service (SARS) filed papers in the High Court in Pretoria to have expelled African National Congress Youth League president Julius Malema sequestrated, it was reported on Thursday (31 January). Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

CCMA facilitation process in Amplats retrenchments postponed

The Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has postponed the planned facilitation process between itself, Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) and the respective unions around possible retrenchments. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Eskom public hearings kick off in Gauteng

Eskom's chief executive officer, Brian Dames, says a stable supply of energy is crucial to power South Africa's economic growth going into the future. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Mthethwa vows to strengthen public order policing

Public order policing in South Africa needs to reflect the ethos of human rights and dignity, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said today. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Funding crisis for commuter bus companies

The commuter bus industry says it is facing a funding crisis as government subsidies are not keeping pace with increases in its costs, which these companies are forced to pass on to consumers. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Oh look, Darling - there's Evita!

[Brian Berkman: contributing editor, travel] South African olive oil is among the best in the world and is better than much of the stuff we import. I remember being transfixed by Marius Malan of Slaley Wines, which also produces olive oil, when he told of some of the practices that dupe us into thinking we are consuming olive oil that is Extra Virgin or, of greater concern, from the country of origin as stated on the bottle. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Afcon group stages a success - Mbalula

The group stages of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) tournament have been a great success, says Sport and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Fascinating Aïda's Cheap Flights Tour

[Eugene Yiga] "See them before you die," wrote British newspaper Mail on Sunday, "otherwise your life will have been meaningless." That's quite a strong endorsement for comedy cabaret trio Fascinating Aïda. But after seeing the Cheap Flights Tour at Theatre on the Bay, I'm starting to get a sense of why the reviewer was so thrilled. Read more >>