KENYA

WEF names Kenyan as 2008 young global leader
[Carole Kimutai] The World Economic Forum has selected 40-year-old James Shikwati as a young Global Leader 2008. Shikwati joins 245 leading executives, public figures and intellectuals – all 40 or younger – chosen from around the world.

ZIMBABWE

Government tightens law to punish price control violators
[Dumisani Ndlela] Zimbabwe's Attorney General (AG) has revealed plans to tighten the country's law to controls escalating prices of basic goods and essential services, including a jail term for retailers or manufacturers charging prices above those stipulated by government.

EAST AFRICA

Telling it like it is
Fleishman-Hillard, a leading global PR firm, recently announced its strategic partnership with Tell-Em Public Relations, one of East Africa's leading PR agencies. Carole Kimutai finds out more about the new alliance from Elizabeth Cook, Tell-Em's Public Relations General Manager.

AFRICA

Dubai Lynx honours Joseph Ghossoub
The organisers of the first Dubai International Advertising Festival announced earlier this week that Joseph Ghossoub, president and CEO of The Holding Group, will be honoured with the first Dubai Lynx Advertising Person of the Year Award.

AFRICA

African team selected to revitalise Kenya Airways brand
Kenya Airways has awarded the contract for an extensive brand revamp to Johannesburg-based branding specialists, BLACK Brand, Strategy & Design.

SADC central banks urged to invest in ICTs
[Timothy Kasonde] Central banks from the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region must continue investing in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). This is according to Bank of Zambia (BoZ) Deputy Governor Tukiya Kankasa 'Mabula, who explained the important role ICTs play in the banking sector.

ZIMBABWE

Charamba reads riot act to foreign correspondents
[Lebo Nkatazo] Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's press secretary on Wednesday, 19 March 2008, summoned and read the riot act to journalists working for foreign publications over coverage of the 29 March elections.

Zimbabwe to screen foreign journalists
Zimbabwe is planning to closely screen foreign media intending to cover upcoming elections amid suspicions uninvited observers and security personnel might impersonate western reporters, state media reported.

Nigeria reaps from telecom licensing
Nigeria has attracted Foreign Direct Investment to the tune of US$11.5 billion in the telecommunications industry, just as the Federal Government has earned over US$2.2 billion from spectrum licensing in the last five years.

AFRICA

Building a case for mobile advertising
Many advertisers are in wait-and-see mode on mobile advertising. "At the moment, the level of transparency is not enough to drive significant budgets into this medium," acknowledges Henry Stevens, director of media and entertainment at the GSM Association, a trade group that represents wireless service providers.

Net effect on journalism: More outlets, fewer insights
[Brad King] Traditional advertising business models may not sustain the news business as companies - and independent bloggers - seek out niche markets, found a study conducted by the Project for Excellence in Journalism.

Namibia awards first-ever street pole advertising tender - Alliance Media
The City of Windhoek has awarded the exclusive advertising rights for the installation and maintenance of Street Pole Advertisements to Alliance Media Namibia.


Nothing shady about our parasols - Right Stuff
There is clearly an unrelenting demand for umbrellas in the commercial sector, as can be clearly seen in their extensive use at outdoor cafés, beaches and sporting events. It therefore comes as no surprise that we offer a product which not only exceeds the expectations of our clients, but also fulfils the urgent need for value for money.

Act fast, time is ticking by... - Quo Vadis Communications
There are only a few places left for Quo Vadis Communications' highly regarded Organisational Communications course in Johannesburg during April and May 2008.

ZIMBABWE

Zimbabweans become hunters and gatherers
There is a general weariness in the eyes of John Manyaradzwa, who recently lost his job as a clerk with a manufacturing company in Harare.

New agreement maximises SA, Ethiopia trade
[Michael Appel] South Africa and Ethiopia are to maximise trade and capacity between the two countries through the Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement which was signed on Tuesday, 18 March 2008.

NIGERIA

Nigeria's premier private broadcaster goes public
[Dan Oshodin] Daar Communications, owners of Nigeria's Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Raypower FM, both of which made history as the very first private television and radio stations in Nigeria, has taken the broadcast network to the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

R225 million to support TV drama
[Gabi Khumalo] The Department for International Development in England has announced an investment of R225 million to support two of southern Africa's most successful television and radio series.