C'mon Zim, time to get it together - 22 Nov 2010[Sindy Peters, Africa editor] Just when the world thought Zimbabwe was on its way to a home run with the inclusive government set on levelling economic affairs and developments implemented to further press plurality and freedom, the country has been caught out again facing a string of violations against media freedom. I can only imagine this is due to the possibility of national elections being hosted next year that could see vast changes for the country if those elections are free and fair. Change is good, but in Zimbabwe's case, change will be great - and change can only come for the better if human rights are upheld and if freedom of expression is honoured. read more Media must empower citizens - 15 Nov 2010[Sindy Peters, Africa editor] The media play a pivotal role during election time - it has the power to sway citizens into voting for a specific candidate. Plenty of effort should be made to ensure journalists are well-trained and experienced enough to remain objective in coverage during the build-up to electoral proceedings. read more The evolving everyday-ness of everyday - 8 Nov 2010[Sindy Peters, Africa editor] The internet is evolving faster than you think, but don't be disconcerted - this makes it even easier to jump onto the bandwagon because nothing is static for too long - what's new now might be old news soon. After recently discovering the wonders of the Twitterverse, I now appreciate being updated throughout the day with what's going on beyond my laptop. read more Sweets instead of change? - 1 Nov 2010[Sindy Peters, Africa editor] Would you accept sweets instead of change after a round of shopping? I certainly would not and I'd like to think most people would think the very idea preposterous, but these are the circumstances that Zimbabweans must endure as retailers in the recovering country refuse to take coins from banks. Retailers are not willing to accept the South African rand coins at the official exchange rate from banks and are essentially holding the economy and consumers to ransom. read more Know thy social media - 25 Oct 2010[Sindy Peters, Africa editor] With the rise of social media, companies are slowly but surely losing more and more control over the shape of their brands. Take for instance the recent GAP case in which the company's new logo was heavily criticised in the online domain by consumers. read more Keep your private life private - 18 Oct 2010[Sindy Peters, Africa editor] For some, privacy is a huge concern when it comes to their online profiles on the various social media platforms. The key is to either make sure that the platform you choose to use is serious about keeping your information private and that you choose the best privacy settings for you, or don't include your personal information online. read more Media abuse during African elections - 11 Oct 2010[Sindy Peters, Africa editor] There are a number of interesting conferences coming up, including the 2010 IABC Africa conference, the Wits-hosted Recent Elections and the Media in Africa conference, which launches today, as well as the Wits Power Reporting conference. All three plan on imparting valuable information for the experienced as well as young entrants to the various sectors of the media industry. read more Loeries leaves CT intact - 4 Oct 2010[Sindy Peters, Africa editor] The 2010 Loerie Awards has come and gone, leaving the Mother City just about intact. While I didn't venture out to experience all the hoo-ha this year, I imagine it all went along swimmingly. read more Business as usual - 27 Sep 2010[Sindy Peters, Africa editor] It's a rude awakening after you spend a long weekend relaxing, thanks to Heritage Day in South Africa, and rock up at work to realise the rest of the world went on without you while you were thinking up some funny #braailyrics with friends and family around a fire. Media freedom remains under constant attack in Somalia with broadcasting staff walking out after refusing to follow orders to transmit Islamic messages only from militia. read more Reels of talent in Africa - 20 Sep 2010[Sindy Peters, Africa editor] The African film industry is headlining in 2010 with some great showings at various film festivals globally including the annual Tri Continental Film Festival which showcases films from around the world, as well as the Africa in Motion Festival. Africa definitely has a large pool of talented filmmakers who capture the continent's history and culture from a home-grown perspective. There's a new face on Facebook and this man needs no introduction in Nigeria; it's none other than President Goodluck Jonathan. read more The bane of working online - 13 Sep 2010[Sindy Peters, Africa editor] There are few things worse than showing up bright and early for work on a Monday morning ready to take on the world and suddenly you're faced with an obstacle even worse than an empty milk carton for your coffee fix...a slow internet connection. Working in an online environment means that you depend on the speed of your connection to get the simplest of things done - here at Bizcommunity we suffer the same misfortune on random occasions that have people cursing, groaning and sighing and even crying - on the inside that is - while IT calmly ponders over what could have gone wrong. It is the bane of online businesses; the nagging thorn in one's side when time after time the page you've been trying to open for the last five minutes "times out". But, all things considered regarding the internet, we have many things to be grateful for; it has allowed the human right of access to information to shine bright, enabling freedoms in many countries worldwide including that of expression, it allows us to connect with old friends and make new ones, it helps distant relatives stay in touch. Communication is faster - you no longer have to wait for a hand-written letter to arrive telling you you're going to be a grandfather. read more Spring has sprung for Africa - 6 Sep 2010[Sindy Peters, Africa editor] The Bizcommunity Cape Town team welcomed in spring last Friday with a flower-powered celebration that saw some crazy outfits come out of staff closets. I, for one, am glad blistery cold winter is finally over for 2010 and we're on the home-stretch to the festive season and some summer fun. Coinciding with the advent of spring was the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) and the inaugural meeting of the Declaration of Table Mountain's African steering committee in Kenya. read more Well done Loeries finalists! - 30 Aug 2010[Sindy Peters, Africa editor] Congratulations to all the 2010 Loeries finalists; we in Cape Town look forward to hosting the lot of you! While I sincerely preferred Loeries in the quaint holiday town of Margate, I suppose Cape Town has its pluses. Hopefully the weather is gorgeous over that weekend so all you tourists can enjoy the beautiful city to the max when you're not off celebrating your wins and toasting to knocking the competition out. Special congratulations go to finalists outside of South Africa which includes a number from the UAE region, but more specifically, DDB Mozambique and Kenya's Scanad. read more Time to see sense - 23 Aug 2010[Sindy Peters, Africa editor] The giant world media bodies WAN-IFRA and the WEF have joined many others in the fight against media repression in South Africa - one of the few countries on the continent with any respect for the freedom of information. The organisations have addressed a joint open letter to President Jacob Zuma urging him to ensure the Protection of Information Bill and the Media Appeals Tribunal proposal are amended or disregarded altogether. read more Zim - the ups and downs - 16 Aug 2010[Sindy Peters, Africa editor] Economically, Zimbabwe is finally on the mend after adopting the US currency and opening up the market to imports. Politically, the country is still in a bit of turmoil with the inclusive government not quite seeing eye-to-eye on certain issues. read more (1 Comment) |
