Headlines
MarketingAFRICA Seven ways to make e-marketing work in a tough economy[Guy Maser] In a challenging economy, you must find new ways to make marketing work more effectively, get more out of marketing investments, and measure and account for marketing decisions. In short, you must make changes. ZIMBABWE Travel warnings hit Zimbabwe's marketing campaign[Dumisani Ndlela] The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) is scrambling for a lifeline after its marketing campaign was thrown in the lurch by travel warnings from key countries, resulting in the cancellations of bookings by international tourists. KENYA Kenyan agency receives international awardKenyan marketing and public relations agency, Exclamation Marketing, received the International Star Award for Leadership in Quality and Excellence at a ceremony in Salons, Concorde of the Palais des Congres of Paris on 21 April 2008. The company received the award in the gold category, for its outstanding business achievements, perseverance and leadership in excellence, and quality in accordance with the QC100 Criteria.
AdvertisingSOUTH AFRICA Getty Images Space Snaps Challenge scores huge discounts - Gallo Images South African designers have found the Getty Images Space Snaps Challenge and are heading to be the highest scorers in outer space while also saving 25% on their royalty-free purchases.
BrandingSOUTHERN AFRICA Southern Africa unveils single tourism brandThe 2010 Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) brand has been unveiled by nine Southern African countries at Durban's Tourism Indaba 2008 in a bid to encourage tourism in these countries. SOUTH AFRICA Talking trademarks in Africa[Darren Olivier] Recent developments mean that trademark owners should make plans both to develop their brands' presence and to protect their rights in (and from) Africa.
CinemaAFRICA Taking a look at Cuba: An African OdysseyThe film Cuba: An African Odyssey, by Emmy-nominated director Jihan El-Tahri, chronicles the crucial role that Cuba played in securing the independence of nations throughout Africa.
CRMZIMBABWE Zim business launch customer service organisation[Dumisani Ndlela] Zimbabwe's private sector has launched the Institute of Customer Services (ICS) as the country grapples with poor quality products and service delivery due to an economic crisis now in its ninth year.
DesignAFRICA Inaugural Wolda judges announced MILAN, ITALY: Wolda, the Worldwide Logo Design Annual, announced the distinguished panel of 30 independent judges that will select the winning entries for its 2008 inaugural edition yesterday, Wednesday, 7 May 2008. The list includes three African judges - one on the Designer jury and two on the Public panel.
DigitalAFRICA Undersea cable to create sustainable competitive market[Nthambeleni Gabara] Government has identified the Broadband Infraco-led African West Coast Cable (AWCC) project as a lead initiative to create a sustainable competitive international bandwidth market in the country.
EventingAFRICA Regional power utility bloc plans to reach more consumers[Gregory Gondwe] Power Institute for East and Southern Africa (PIESA), an association for power utilities in the region, is holding a three day regional meeting in Malawi's commercial capital, Blantyre, to explore new technologies that would help them reach out to a bulk of needy electricity consumers in Africa. SOUTHERN AFRICA Limpopo, Swaziland to improve trade co-operation[Gcina Ntsaluba] South Africa's Limpopo province and the Kingdom of Swaziland are to improve trade co-operation through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The Limpopo province is hosting a business delegation from Swaziland this week to forge regional economic ties. ZIMBABWE ZEC says run-off vote could take place soonThe Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) Deputy Chief of Operations Utoile Silaigwana on Sunday said the presidential run-off vote could take place soon, possibly before 23 May. Silaigwana said the Electoral Act allowed the run-off to be held within 21 days if candidates failed to get 50% of votes. The MDC, which had been threatening to boycott the run-off, has changed its stance. MDC party leader Morgan Tsvangirai appealed to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and other observers to oversee the second round election amid political violence that had flared up in Manicaland and Mashonaland ahead of the poll. The two parties, which were neck and neck in parliamentary polls, refused to entertain forming a coalition government after MDC ended the 28-year majority of Zanu PF in Parliament. - BuaNews
MagazinesALGERIA Government bans issue of French weeklyThe Algerian government banned the distribution of the 4 May 2008 issue of the Paris-based news weekly Jeune Afrique, which has an article on the local region of Kabylie. EAST AFRICA Govt seizes Ethiopian magazine, imprisons publisherIn a move that is widely believed to have been deliberately chosen to coincide with World Press Freedom Day, the Ethiopian government struck against the private press on 3 May 2008. Ten thousand copies of a non-political monthly magazine, Enku, have been impounded by police and the publisher and deputy editor of the magazine, Alemayehu Mahtemework, imprisoned.
MediaSOUTH AFRICA SABC News Agency launched[Issa Sikiti da Silva] The launch of the SABC News Agency yesterday, Thursday, 8 May 2008, at the Michelangelo in Johannesburg will see, among others, the public broadcaster collaborate with community broadcasting stations to deliver content to communities which it cannot reach. In addition, the agency will sell archives in the form of tapes and CD to filmmakers and researchers, international news stations and other potential clients. SOUTHERN AFRICA Malawian media institutions dominate NAMISA Awards[Gregory Gondwe] Malawi's two media institutions have dominated this year's National Media Institute of Southern Africa (NAMISA) awards which are held annually during commemoration of the World Press Freedom Day. WEST AFRICA Draft media reform laws presented to the Liberian National Legislature[Michael Kpayili] Three draft media laws that seek to strengthen the improvement of freedom of Information have finally been submitted to the National Legislature for possible passage into law.
MobileUGANDA Warid unveils first mobile customer care service units[Walter Wafula] Warid Telecom has unveiled four new advanced mobile customer care vans dubbed “Warid On Wheels” (WOW), with an aim to deliver mobile telephony service assistance to its subscribers. KENYA Kenya's mobile TV revolutionSafaricom DStv Mobile went live at the end of April, allowing subscribers to watch television anywhere, at anytime using their own mobile handset. Kenya is among the first African countries to launch mobile television, one of the world's most eagerly anticipated consumer technologies. SOUTHERN AFRICA Malawi introduces international calling cards[Gregory Gondwe] Malawi has become the second country in southern Africa to introduce an international calling card to be used by both mobile and fixed phone line subscribers.
Out Of HomeSOUTH AFRICA Rope barrier system makes a grand entrance - Right Stuff Book your space in the queue with our all-new stylish and practical rope barrier queue management systems, the ideal solution for crowd control, queue management and point-of-purchase.
Public RelationsAFRICA B2B in a Web 2.0 world, Part 1: Digital media relations[Ned Madden] It used to be so simple. A public relations specialist would send press releases to the major papers, make some calls, and read his client's news in the paper the next day. However, the emergence of Web 2.0 means the entire PR game has changed.
RetailSOUTHERN AFRICA Counterfeit products flood Malawi market[Gregory Gondwe] The Consumers Association of Malawi (CAMA) has lamented that fake products have besieged the market and the responsible authority has been left helpless in the absence of a regulating piece of legislation. ZIMBABWE Importers abandon merchandise as duty payments soar[Dumisani Ndlela] Zimbabwean importers were caught off guard last week after customs duty payments went up by almost 6,700% following the floatation of Zimbabwe's domestic currency on the official market. SOUTHERN AFRICA Botswana bans bulk fuel exports to Zim In the latest blow to Zimbabwe's wounded economy, the Botswana government has banned the export of bulk fuel to the neighbouring country. Scanty parallel market supplies are quickly running dry and transport is grinding to a halt across Zimbabwe. KENYA Kenya's food shortages persist as rains fallRains have come to the north eastern parts of Kenya, but this alone is unlikely to immediately resolve the food problems facing the mainly nomadic families in the semi-arid region, aid workers have said. ZIMBABWE Cash shortages on first day of currency floatationCash shortages in Zimbabwe worsened Monday, 5 May, on the first day of free trading of the Zimbabwe dollar as people queued for hours in banks to buy up local currency. ZIMBABWE Reserve Bank unveils Z$250 million noteZimbabwe's central bank, currently grappling with record-breaking inflation, has introduced a new high-denomination bank note of a quarter of a billion dollars, state television reported Monday, 5 May 2008. NIGERIA Bread strike threatens food supply Supplies of bread have dwindled in Lagos and other cities across Nigeria since 5 May when the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria went on a nationwide strike over the rising price of flour and other raw materials.
SponsorshipNIGERIA Banks back the Africa Investor Nigeria Projects SummitAfrica Investor has announced its Nigeria Projects Summit has attracted record levels of support from leading Nigerian financial institutions at a press conference held in Abuja. Sponsoring institutions include Zenith Bank, Vetiva Capital Management, Oceanic bank and Stanbic Ibtc Bank.
TVUGANDA GTV adds new channels[Walter Wafula] Kampala - Gateway Television (GTV) has increased the variety for pay-television consumers by adding three new channels to its menu: G Africa, G Series, and KidsCo. NORTH AFRICA Al-Jazeera bureau forced to stop broadcasting Maghreb news programmeMoroccan authorities have decided to stop the pan-Arab satellite TV news station Al-Jazeera from broadcasting a daily news programme covering the Maghreb countries (Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria) from its studios in the Moroccan capital Rabat. AFRICA Adding marketing muscle to MTV Networks AfricaPan African entertainment platform MTV Networks Africa (MTVNA) has made a number of key appointments in its marketing and commercial departments. This is in line with the network's ongoing growth and expansion plans, which recently saw further appointments within its Strategic Services, Finance and Commercial Departments. | 
