Headlines
MarketingAFRICA SA company makes pledge: only in Africa Engen Petroleum Ltd, the South African refined petroleum products market leader (27%), has made a remarkable promise to Africa - to operate only on the continent. SOUTH AFRICA E-mail marketing grows upIt's time we ensure that we give our customers a relevant and appealing experience that rewards them for engaging with us in the first place. Through behavioral targeting, we provide our customers with the means to steer their relationships with us. By focusing and enriching the information we provide them, we can ensure that the conversation we foster will prove to establish a mutually beneficial relationship. ZIMBABWE Zimbabwe braces for battle of the political brands[Dumisani Ndlela] Radical change is needed in Zimbabwe if the economy is to recover, retail and manufacturing get back on track, and hyperinflation be eliminated. CENTRAL AFRICA Bank home-owner scheme approved in Malawi[Gregory Gondwe] The Standard Bank of Malawi has introduced a Home Loan Scheme that the Malawi government has applauded as a facility that will ease housing accommodation demand in Malawi. AFRICA China has its eyes on Africa[Carole Kimutai] Apart from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China's (ICBC) purchase of a 20% stake in South Africa's Standard Bank, the Eastern giant is looking at the purchase as only one of a number of steps in its growing trade and business relations with the continent. AFRICA Climate fight must enlist biodiversity and communities[Carole Kimutai] UN-led efforts to address climate change, conserve biodiversity and fight poverty could cancel each other out unless the close links between these global challenges are given more attention, says a paper published today (18 February) by the International Institute for Environment and Development. Advertisement:
BrandingSOUTH AFRICA Time factor inhibits innovationNew US research reveals that 'lack of time' is a key inhibitor to branding and packaging innovation for consumer goods companies. UGANDA Boost for football[Walter Wafula] Footballers participating Uganda's local challenge, the Super League, received a financial boost from Gateway Television (GTV), when its founder disbursed UGX306 million to the Federation Ugandan Football Association (FUFA). Each club in the Super league will receive UGX17 million.
DesignSOUTH AFRICA Real African images from Great Stock! - Great Stock! Get the full spectrum of authentic African imagery from the renowned aFrika Collection: exquisite photography and footage, rights managed and royalty free, captured all over this beautiful continent.
DigitalSOUTHERN AFRICA Digital migration on track[Michael Appel] The Department of Communication (DOCs) has responded to media reports criticising the finalisation of a policy framework for the digitisation of broadcasting, assuring that things are on track.
Education and TrainingAFRICA Malawian business journalists visit South Africa[Gregory Gondwe] National Bank of Malawi took 12 business journalists on a two-day tour to South Africa between February 19 and February 20 this year. SOUTH AFRICA Varsities, colleges turn to CRMCRM solutions are on brink of widespread adoption across the higher education market.
EventingAFRICA Lesotho hosts trade ministersTrade Ministers from the 50-strong group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) from around the globe, including 34 African countries, jet into Maseru, Lesotho's capital, from Wednesday to Friday this week to discuss key World Trade Organisation issues. UGANDA UB40 to rock Kampala; UB there [Walter Wafula] Celebrated British-based band UB40 will set Kampala on fire this Saturday. Preparations for one of the ‘80s most popular bands are in high gear in the capital where the reggae idols are due to perform for Ugandan fans.
ExhibitionsSOUTHERN AFRICA Spotlight on SADC's emerging artists[Michael Appel] The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) on Thursday evening launched the Soul of Africa Art Exhibition, thus creating a platform for artists to exhibit their works.
MagazinesSOUTH AFRICA Ridwaan Bawa takes on Men's Health Ridwaan Bawa is the new editor of Men's Health magazine, Touchline Media announced yesterday afternoon, Wednesday, 20 February 2008. Bawa replaces Andy Ellis, who recently resigned from his post to form independent creative agency TypeFace Media together with Piers Buckle, who also quit as editor of Men's Health Living.
MediaSOUTH AFRICA Sign up for global newsroom surveyThe World Editors Forum, Reuters and Zogby International began collecting data for the second annual Newsroom Barometer, a global survey of chief editors about their attitudes and strategies in the multimedia age, earlier this week. Senior editors are invited to participate in the online survey.
MobileSOUTH AFRICA Walkman is GSMA Best Handset Sony Ericsson's W910i Walkman phone strutted off with the prize for Best Handset the GSM Association's 13th Global Mobile Awards 2008. The ceremony was held on 12 February in Barcelona, Spain, as part of the Mobile World Congress. SOUTH AFRICA Starfish launches new mobile services with Vodacom Tanzania - Starfish MobileVodacom Tanzania has appointed Starfish Mobile East Africa, a division of Starfish Mobile International, as its partner content aggregator to provide and manage digital content services to Vodacom customers. The deal, which will endure for two years, was concluded after a thorough and lengthy tender process.
NewspapersEGYPT Egyptian Information Minister bans four foreign newspapersOn 19 February 2008, the Egyptian government placed a ban on four foreign newspapers that reprinted some of the cartoons that were published by 17 Danish newspapers on 13 February in a show of solidarity on the issue of freedom of expression. SOUTH AFRICA Call to enter cross-media advertising competitionDARMSTADT, GERMANY: This year will see the IFRA XMA Cross Media Awards for newspaper publishing houses presented for the third time – with the project topic “Cross-media Advertising”. The final date for interested publishing houses to register is 30 June 2008.
Online MediaSOUTH AFRICA New media continues to grow in influence to purchaseA US survey shows that new media is further fragmenting the influence of traditional media, even more among minorities in the US.
PrintingAFRICA Simplifying specialised printing needsHP has launched three new vertical solutions for customers in the retail and financial services industries located in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
ProductionSOUTH AFRICA UK proposes piracy sanctions for ISPsThe Recording Industry Association of America and its international cousins are cheering this morning after the British government unveiled a proposal that would Internet service providers to take explicit steps towards curbing illegal downloading or they face legal sanctions.
Public RelationsKENYA Fleishman-Hillard boosts African footprintFleishman-Hillard International Communications has extended its reach in Africa with an affiliation with Tell-Em Public Relations in Kenya. In addition to the company's offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg, this adds to its' affiliate relationships with Quadrant Company in Lagos and TRACCS in North Africa.
RetailZIMBABWE Zimbabwe inflation soars past 100,000%Zimbabwe's annual inflation rate has soared to over 100,000%, according to official figures released on Wednesday, 20 February. AFRICA Affluent African Americans represent 45% of AA buying powerAccording to a recent Packaged Facts study, reported by Marketing Charts, African Americans are crucial to the consumer economy, with a population of 39 million and buying power of $892 billion, and expected to exceed $1.1 trillion in 2012. This represents a cumulative growth of 28.4% during the forecast period. UGANDA Bank's profits rocket[Walter Wafula] Crane Bank, one of Uganda's most solid indigenous financial institutions, has grossed UGX18.7bn, up by 50.5% (UGX6.3bn), from UGX12.5bn earned in the financial year 2006, according to its latest financial results. AFRICA Africa needs access to affordable medicine[Bathandwa Mbola] South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has called on the continent's health industry to improve access to affordable medicine. KENYA Kenya flowers holdKenya's flower sector has been steadily growing earning Ksh43 billion in 2007 from Kshs23 billion in 2006.
SponsorshipSOUTH AFRICA Bank sponsors Inside AfricaCNN International has announced Zenith Bank as the exclusive sponsor of its popular weekly feature programme, Inside Africa.
TVWEST AFRICA Privately-owned Cameroonian TV station under suspensionOn 21 February 2008, Cameroon's Communication Minister, Emmanuel Béyiyi Bi Essam, issued an order for the suspension of Equinoxe TV. The order was purportedly issued on the grounds that its owner, Séverin Tchounkeu, had not paid the required licence bond of 100 millions CFA francs (approx. 150,000 euros) and was therefore operating illegally. EAST AFRICA New player in East African terrestrial TV arenaCNBC Africa has secured a major terrestrial television distribution deal in East Africa, giving the 24-hour business news channel free-to-air coverage to an audience of more than 10 million people in and around Nairobi in Kenya. | 
