Headlines
Marketing & MediaNIGERIA Nigerian Marketnomics 2009: Part one [Franklin Ozekhome] The economic and financial crisis, which started in the United States in September 2008, has rattled markets and economies around the globe. A global shift is taking place resulting in a rebalancing of economic power. NIGERIA Nigerian Marketnomics 2009: Part two [Franklin Ozekhome] In the fight for survival in the depressed economies, and the battle to stand out and mean more to consumers in the emerging markets, ideas will become the golden salt and superior thinking will take centre stage. AFRICA New building opened at Ahmed Baba Institute in TimbuktuTIMBUKTU: South African President Kgalema Motlanthe has described the new building at the Ahmed Baba Institute in Timbuktu, Mali as a celebration of African co-operation and friendship. AFRICA Guebuza to open Africa investor Tourism SummitLONDON: Pan-African investment group Africa investor (Ai) and the Government of Mozambique are to partner to host the 2009 Ai Tourism Investor Summit and Tourism Investor Awards. The summit will take place at the Joaquim Chissano Conference Centre in Maputo, Mozambique on 26 - 27 February 2009. Advertisement:
2010 FIFA World CupAFRICA 2010 clock strikes 500 days to kick-off[Michael Appel] The world is watching in anticipation as stadiums go up, roads and highways are built or upgraded, and a country once faced with overwhelming odds draws closer to hosting the biggest sporting spectacle on the planet, writes Michael Appel.
AdvertisingSOUTH AFRICA The Loeries land in Cape Town The Loeries have landed in Cape Town, and the Mother City and the rest of the country will be treated to a year-round series of events and activities that will culminate in the spectacular awards during the weekend of 25 - 27 September 2009.
BrandingKENYA Kenya should ride on brand Obama[Carole Kimutai] Kenyan marketers should thank President Barack Obama for free publicity that is worth billions of US dollars. During his inauguration on Tuesday, 20 January 2009 and before the world, Obama saluted the “small village” where his (Kenyan) father was born.
DesignAFRICA Wolda ‘09 open for entries The 2009 edition of Wolda is now open for entries. The Worldwide Logo Design Annual award scheme rewards the best logos and trademarks designed throughout the world. AFRICA HWB holds African design competitionHWB Communications has been appointed by the Department of Economic Development and Tourism to develop and publicise a national competition asking all South Africans, and Africans, to enter their ideas for the design of an iconic structure for the southernmost tip of Africa at Agulhas. The campaign will also promote the area as a viable tourist attraction for all Africans and visitors to South Africa. Evelyn Holtzhausen, CEO of HWB Communications, said: "It is an honour to be involved in the process which will help to identify an icon that will represent the continent."
DigitalKENYA LG pushes for Anti-Counterfeit Bill in KenyaLG is pushing for the enactment of the Anti-Counterfeit Bill into law as a measure to fight peddling of counterfeit goods such as cellphone handsets and associated gadgets in Kenya.
Education and TrainingCENTRAL AFRICA Malawi: Journalism institute in qualification scandal[Gregory Gondwe] Malawi Institute of Journalism (MIJ), which is under the University of Malawi's constituent college of Polytechnic, has been embroidered in scandal where its executive director falsified his doctorate qualification. This forced the MIJ Board to fire its institution head, Peter Mitunda.
EventingAFRICA Six tips to create powerful news events [Chima Nwankwo] It is amazing the kind of money people and organisations spend on hosting events and then turn around to complain that they have not received the return on investment and exposure they had hoped the corporate affairs manager would give them.
MediaAFRICA World Festival of the Black Arts launches at the UN[Leslie Pariseau] The launch of the World Festival of Black Arts (FESMAN) on 22 January 2009 at the United Nations headquarters provided a glimpse of what promises to be the revival of rich tradition and cultural celebration across the African continent. ZIMBABWE Broadcaster's bid to fire journalists failsZimbabwe's Retrenchment Board has ruled against the state-owned Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings' (ZBH) bid to retrench six of its journalists who were suspended in June 2008 on allegations of "acting in a manner inconsistent with the fulfillment of the implied conditions" of their contracts. AFRICA AfricaNews.com launches mobile platform Africa Interactive, the publisher of the pan-African news website AfricaNews.com, has announced the release of its mobile news website.
MobileAFRICA 14th Global Mobile Awards finalists announced LONDON: The GSMA announced the finalists for the 14th Annual Global Mobile Awards late last week, as well as the competitors for the EMEA leg of the annual Mobile Innovation Global Award Competition. The overall winners will be announced and recognised during the GSMA's annual gala dinner at the National Palace in Barcelona on Tuesday, 17 February. AFRICA Nokia reports 20% decline in profitNokia, has recorded a nearly 20% decline in profit for the last quarter of 2008. The company has also projected that sales of mobile phone devices will decrease significantly during the current year.
NewspapersZIMBABWE Zim newspapers sold in foreign currency[Dumisani Ndlela] The country's mainstream newspapers this week began retailing in foreign currency after being granted exchange control approval by the country's central bank. SOUTHERN AFRICA Court rules in favour of Times of SwazilandOn 20 January 2009 an attempt to censor the privately-owned Times of Swaziland newspaper failed when the High Court of Swaziland dismissed an application brought by a woman who sought to stop the newspaper from publishing photographs of her.
Public RelationsAFRICA Gold Quill Awards 2009 kicks offEntries for the African Quill Awards from the African region must be submitted on 27 January 2009. Winners of African Quill Awards are automatically submitted for the international Gold Quill Awards. AFRICA The untapped power of the press release [Chima Nwankwo] When your boss calls you up in the middle of the night and says he wants an official reaction in the papers the next morning to a controversial issue concerning him directly, what's a PR practitioner supposed to do? For one thing you must understand that a lot of the world's media are primed to spot the press release and shoot it down a mile off. SOUTH AFRICA Brand experience - the true test [Phillip van Staden] PR practitioners are often required to work in line with our communication partners - be they advertising agencies or other marketing services partners. They all have a mantra or some kind of uniquely positioned approach. So is it up to us to fit in with the philosophies and doctrines of our communication partners? SOUTH AFRICA A course with no useless information - enrol now! - Quo Vadis CommunicationsWell-known marketing communications and training company, Quo Vadis Communications, has unveiled its training schedule for the 2009 year and says it is keeping fees for its courses at its 2008 levels.
RadioAFRICA Song banned for allegedly criticising Zanu-PFA song composed by Tongai Moyo, a popular Zimbabwean musician, has reportedly been denied air-play by the state-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), which has sole monopoly of the country's airwaves. SOUTHERN AFRICA SWAZILAND: Radio powered by childrenMBABANE: People are calling Swaziland's first children's radio programme "Ses'khona", which literally means, "we're here", but in the SiSwati language it implies the arrival of a group that intends to stay and be heard.
RecruitmentCENTRAL AFRICA Sudan: Lack of opportunities forces children into workKADUGLI: Every evening, the market in Kadugli, state capital of Southern Kordofan, bustles with activity as women set up their tea shops. Abdi, barely 10 years old, is in one, rinsing glasses. "It is my first day here," he told IRIN, doing a job that will last late into the night.
RetailAFRICA Chad: Banging pots and pans to end charcoal banN'DJAMENA: On 23 January in some Chadian cities day broke with the sound of citizens banging together pots and pans. Prohibited by the authorities from demonstrating in the streets, Chadians banged their utensils from inside their homes to protest the government's ban on charcoal. SOUTH AFRICA East African Community members can negotiate trade as a bloc[Rose Kamau] NAIROBI, KENYA: East African Community (EAC) member states can now negotiate as a bloc in all matters relating to regional and multinational trade following the enactment of the East African Trade Negotiations Act, 2008. ZIMBABWE Zimbabwe: Passport fees leave a population going nowhereHARARE: After being accepted by a South African university, Golden Gutu thought the hard part was over, but the worst hurdles for Zimbabweans trying to further their studies were just beginning. KENYA Kenya: Alice Wanjiru, "Now it's no meat, less ugali"NAIROBI: With the UN World Food Programme already feeding up to 1.2 million hungry Kenyans, hundreds of thousands more - the urban poor and those in drought-affected areas - are grappling with shortages, high food prices and the impact of post-election violence in early 2008, which contributed to a reduction in food production in the country's agricultural areas. ZIMBABWE Inflation at 6.5 quindecillion novemdecillion percentThe Zimbabwe dollar now seems to have lost all its appeal, and calls for the adoption of a foreign currency to replace the struggling monetary unit and put an end to the country's crippling hyperinflation are becoming louder. EGYPT Swedish Minister for Trade visits EgyptCAIRO: Swedish Minister for Trade, Dr Ewa Björling arrived in the Egyptian capital, Cairo earlier this week together with a business delegation for a four-day visit, meeting Egyptian Minister of State for Environmental Affairs, Maged George and Minister of Health and Population, Hatem El Gabaly. AFRICA Old Mutual, NEPAD Business Foundation invest in AfricaOld Mutual has sponsored R1.5 million to the NEPAD Business Foundation (NBF) and is one of the NBF's main founding partners. Old Mutual operates in six countries in Africa including, South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Malawi, Swaziland and Zimbabwe and is headquartered and domiciled in London, UK. ZIMBABWE Zimbabwe: Corruption bedevils farming inputsAn audit of an agricultural inputs programme aimed at rewarding productive farmers has unearthed cases of corrupt reselling of the aid by senior government officials and parliamentarians.
TVAFRICA Getaway enters TV arena The Getaway brand moves to the small screen this month when the TV series "Getaway to Africa" launches on M-Net on 29 January 2009. The 13-part series will look at travel in southern Africa, taking in the people and cultures of South Africa and its neighbouring countries as it explores the game parks, forests, deserts, mountain retreats and beaches of the region. | 
