Headlines
MarketingANGOLA Angola, Spain explore reciprocal investmentRepresentatives of more than 100 companies from various sectors in Madrid were recently briefed by Angolan officials on trade and investment opportunities. AFRICA African States look to seize economic opportunities from outsourcingGhanaian businesswoman Estelle Akofio-Sowah once considered a career in politics before deciding that she could do more for her country's economy by becoming a successful entrepreneur. AFRICA Innovation is alive and well and living in loyalty programsInnovation is alive and well among coalition loyalty programs around the world. Despite their advancing age, coalitions are continuing to innovate to keep their programs fresh and relevant to their target members. This applies equally in Africa as consumers' buying power increases, and retailers must think up new ways to keep existing customers and attract new ones. ZIMBABWE Little in-store stock, so producers flock to the stock market[Dumisani Ndlela] Zimbabwe's supermarkets and other retailers are still lurching from chronic stock shortages, despite the central bank pumping out trillions of Zimbabwe dollars into industry to boost production. ZIMBABWE Crowds besiege food storeDesperate people besieged a food store in Harare last week as shortages of staple maize meal intensified. AFRICA Zimbabwe shelves currency plansZimbabwe's central bank chief said he has shelved plans to introduce a new currency in a bid to rein in galloping inflation and wants to direct efforts towards increasing supply of goods and services. WEST AFRICA WIFI/WIMAX to ease Internet access in Sierra Leone[Bai-Bai Sesay] In its bid to offer easy access to internet service users in Sierra Leone, a technological breakthrough has occurred in the capital Freetown recently when an indigenous company known as FGC Wireless announced that it has successfully completed a city-wide unrestricted WIFI/WIMAX network that will ease the problems of internet users in the country. NIGERIA NITEL to pay N14bn damages to Interstella[Remmy Nweke] The Federal High Court sitting at Umuahia, Abia State on Monday ordered the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) to pay the sum of N14 billion to Interstella as damages for a breach of contract. BOTSWANA Botswana hospitality industry poised for growthThe Botswana hospitality industry is one of the country's growth areas – and Compass Botswana has identified function catering and remote site catering as two further opportunities for growth. UGANDA Cheaper wireless internet costs for Ugandans[Walter Wafula] Internet subscribers on the MTN's wireless internet can now pay 17% less for the lowest package of the telecommunications giant's service. This follows a reduction in the company's charges on its three broadband packages, on October 31.
2010 FIFA World CupSOUTHERN AFRICA Prepping media for 2010 prelim-drawKwaZulu-Natal Premier Sibusiso Ndebele is briefing top media officials regarding preparations for the preliminary draw of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.
AdvertisingNIGERIA MTN Nigeria launches 'Go' campaign[Remmy Nweke] MTN Nigeria Communications Limited has launched its new campaign pay-off known as 'Go' in a ceremony attended by the crème de la crème of the society including Onari Duke, the wife of the immediate past governor of Cross River, Donald Duke. ZIMBABWE Zimbabwe Advertising Research Foundation 10th Anniversary awards The Zimbabwe Advertising Research Foundation has announced its 10th anniversary awards to take place in Harare on Thursday, November 8.
BrandingUGANDA CMA seeks to boost identity through new logo [Walter Wafula] Uganda's Capital Markets Authority recently unveiled a new logo with intentions to demonstrate its new corporate identity – adapted to identify with the needs of investors in the capital markets.
DigitalKENYA ITU chief hails Kenya's fibre optic progress[Joyce Joan Wangui] The pace at which Kenya is moving in the laying of the long-awaited fibre optic cable is commendable. This was the remark of the Secretary General of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Hamadoun Toure, during his visit to Kenya recently. SOUTH AFRICA Facebook unveils targeted ad system[Gino Cosme] Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg earlier this week announced the launch of Facebook Ads, an advertising system that lets businesses connect with their target audience, roll out viral social ads, and track social activity on the site. AFRICA Cisco to invest $10m in Africa[Remmy Nweke] Cisco Systems is to invest $10 million to develop its network infrastructure on the continent.
MediaAFRICA Europe-Africa Summit: Portugal assists African journalists[Carole Kimutai] Portugal is offering free lodging to eight African journalists eager to take part in the media cover of the Europe-Africa Summit on December 8-9. UGANDA Awareness strengthening investment in capital markets[Walter Wafula] Increased fiscal awareness among Ugandans is intensifying savings and investment in Uganda's capital markets, the Chief Executive Capital Markets Authority Japheth Katto has said. AFRICA Journalists consistent in their online use and preferencesAccording to the Arketi Group 2007 Web Watch Survey, 84% of journalists say they would use, or already have used blogs as a primary or secondary source for articles. SOUTH AFRICA Unlocking the power of being informed - Monitoring South AfricaMonitoring South Africa has introduced a new telesales department within the Sales and Marketing division. Driven by a group of passionate people, the new department will focus on delivering information to clients faster, better and at the most competitive rates in the market.
MobileAFRICA Africa's mobile operators to invest billions of dollars[David Kezio-Musoke] Mobile operators MTN, Vodacom, Celtel and Orange are among the mobile operators planning to invest a tune of US$50 billion in the expansion and enhancement of their networks. AFRICA Continent's comms costs cutSouth African-based company Evosat, which distributes Inmarsat's Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) service across Africa, has secured a major deal that will see satellite communication costs to provide simultaneous voice and broadband data, virtually halved on the continent.
Online MediaAFRICA Dengate Thrush emerges new ICANN chairman[Remmy Nweke] New Zealander and lawyer, Peter Dengate Thrush, has emerged unanimously, the new chairman, of board of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). WEST AFRICA Fresh look for the MFWAThe Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) recently launched its redesigned website: http://www.mediafound.org/. The MFWA is a regional independent, non-profit organisation based in Accra, Ghana. It acts as an advocate, promoting media rights and the freedom of expression, while monitoring any violations thereof. The site features media alerts and publications, among other things, and is available in English or French.
RecruitmentAFRICA Getting hiredCulture and economy is in a shift and, much like abroad, it has been stated that people will have more than one career and probably even more jobs in their lifetime.
SponsorshipNIGERIA Cup of Nations adopts beer[Emeka Enyadike] Sponsorship for Nigeria football reached new heights last week as Guinness Nigeria became the latest sponsors of the Nigerian national football team, The Super Eagles.
TVAFRICA Big Brother Africa broadcasting scandal[Liezl Maclean] The ongoing TV Reality show Big Brother Africa (BBA) has appalled millions of television viewers after airing an episode on M-Net with drunken debauchery and alleged non-consensual sex. EAST AFRICA CECAFA gets a boost from GTV[Joyce Joan Wangui] Die hard fans of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Association (CECAFA) are in for a treat following the signing of an agreement to broadcast football matches live to East African homes by GTV. SOUTHERN AFRICA Joy TV station ordered to stop broadcastingOn 29 October 2007, the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) ordered Joy TV to immediately stop all television broadcasts until the station is issued appropriate radio and broadcasting licences. EGYPT Egyptian tycoon plans new TV stations against radicalsEgyptian billionaire and telecoms tycoon Naguib Sawiris plans to launch new television channels to counter what he describes as increasing social and religious conservatism in the Arab Muslim country. | 
