Africa investor Tourism Awards shortlist announced
LONDON: International pan-African investment group Africa investor (Ai) this week announced the shortlist for its annual Tourism Investor Awards. The Ai Tourism Investor Awards are hosted annually to raise the profile of new investments into the industry.

AFRICA

CMO Council 'Voice of Customer' survey results
The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council has found that, despite overwhelming agreement on the importance of customer experience and word-of-mouth, nearly two-thirds of companies do not have a formal 'Voice of Customer' program in place.

AFRICA

Dubai Lynx 2009 juries announced
The members of the four juries of the Dubai Lynx Awards have been announced. Judging will take place in Dubai, where 29 creatives and media experts from 14 countries will convene to discuss and award the best creative advertising from the MENA region. Winners will be revealed at the Dubai Lynx Awards Ceremony and Dinner on 17 March 2009.


ACA announces 2009 APEX judging panel
The Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA) has announced its panel of judges for the 2009 APEX Awards. The panel is be chaired by Andy Rice, chairman of Yellowwood Brand Architects.


The US president Barack Obama has undoubtedly inspired art, street art and fashion - Gallo Images
The Getty Images Creative Research team finds how a politician is influencing marketing and advertising and how his look is becoming a visual reference.

Gateway steps in during NITEL strike
LONDON/LAGOS: Gateway Communications is offering its customers, cut off by the ongoing NITEL strike, an alternative connectivity solution. Using satellite connectivity, IPJetDirect will allow its corporate customers and Nigerian operators to connect their mobile or fixed network to the internet.

ICTs discussed at high level NEPAD meeting
[Bathandwa Mbola] ADDIS ABABA: The New partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) has challenged more African nations to get involved in the project to develop internet connections linking African countries to one another and to the rest of the world by 2015.

LG announces ‘Life's Good When it's Green' initiative
LG Electronics, a major player in the information and computer technology industry, has pledged its commitment to reducing environmental hazards and developing appropriate products.

AFRICA

Sustaining rural ICTs in Africa
PRETORIA: The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) has recently released a study on the need for wireless internet access for development (W4D) in rural Africa. This study, commissioned by APC and written by wireless expert Ian Howard explores sustainable ICTs and is intended to serve as a guide to members of the W4D community involved in African initiatives.

AFRICA

Business journalism training in Africa
JOHANNESBURG: The Investment Climate Facility (ICF) for Africa and the Thomson Reuters Foundation announced a new partnership that will offer a training programme for business journalism in Africa. The programme aims to raise the standards of business, financial and investment journalism on the continent in an attempt to ensure greater trust in the region's media reporting.

EAST AFRICA

CIPR launches East African program
[Carole Kimutai] The UK-based Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) has launched a program that will target PR practitioners in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda offering internationally accredited PR courses.

Zim: Only US dollars can buy education
HARARE: Zimbabwean teachers ignored the start of the new school term on 27 January, 2009 and remained on strike, demanding the payment of their salaries in US dollars.

Young African Leaders recognised in Tanzania
The president of Zanzibar, Abeid Amani Karume has launched an initiative to recognise the achievements of young African leaders known as the Young African Leaders Awards. President Karume launched the African awards on behalf of chairman of the African Union, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania.

CENTRAL AFRICA

Malawi launches The Big Issue
[Gregory Gondwe] Malawi has launched The Big Issue, a magazine aimed at ending poverty according to its chairperson, John Chikago, and information and civic education minister, Patricia Kaliati. It is the first magazine of its kind in the country, modelled after Britain's magazine for the homeless, the Big Issue.

Zim: Magistrate orders investigation on torture of journalist
HARARE: The matter of freelance photojournalist, Anderson Shadreck Manyere, who is held on allegations of banditry, was heard before Harare Magistrate Gloria Takundwa on 26 January, who ordered police to investigate and present a report on reports that Manyere was tortured while in unlawful detention.

WEST AFRICA

Liberian freedom of expression report released
MONROVIA: The 2009 publication, entitled "The Triumph of Impunity: Account of Attacks on Freedom of Expression in Liberia - 2008," draws attention to various actions by individuals, civil society and especially government actors against the media and other citizens and residents as they tried to take advantage of the universally guaranteed right to free speech.

Mobility - a security conundrum?
Mobility is no longer a luxury but an entrenched part of everyday living. However, with the proliferation of wireless and mobile technologies and devices have come the resultant security challenges which in turn have lead to some corporates making the call to opt for 'safer' fixed-line infrastructures opposed to exposing their information to a mobile world.

KENYA

CBK denies Zain's money transfer service
[Titus Kaloki] The Kenyan mobile services sector is in the headlines again, this time for all the wrong reasons. A war of words has emerged between the Central Bank of Kenya and the second largest mobile services provider, Zain. It's all about the failure by the bank to give a nod to Zain's much anticipated money transfer services under the brand name, Zap.

Social media: The smart choice
[Sandy Carter] With the current economic situation, now is the time for marketers and sales leaders to embrace social media. The market has shifted its expectations. No longer are people leveraging the web to just access information, but they are sharing, participating and co-creating in greater numbers. And to advance leads in the sales cycle, social media has the necessary tools.

NIGERIA

SA Tourism takes Nigerian tourists online
As part of its global word-of-mouth campaign, South African Tourism recently launched a website for Nigerians to upload pictures, videos or write on their South African travel experiences after visiting the country.

IABC Quills 2009 judging panel announced
Entries to the IABC 2009 Quills close tomorrow, Tuesday, 3 February 2009. Shortly thereafter, the first tier judging in the African region will take place, and winners will be announced at a gala event on 27 March 2009. The judging panel includes experienced communicators across South Africa.

MACRA to issue cellular mobile radio telecommunications licence
The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) is in the process of issuing an individual licence to provide public cellular mobile radio telecommunications services in Malawi.

2009 may wipe out recent employment gains - ILO
DAKAR: The global economic meltdown originating from high-income countries may reverse recent employment gains for workers in the poorest nations, according to the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) latest Global Employment Trends Report.

AU to be transformed into new African Union Authority
[Bathandwa Mbola] ADDIS ABABA: African leaders agreed on Sunday, 1 February in the Ethiopian capital to transform the African Union (AU) Commission into the African Union Authority (AUA). This will be done as a compromise step toward eventually forming a continent-wide government.

AFRICA

African Union Summit opens in Ethiopia
ADDIS ABABA: African leaders on Sunday, 1 February 2009 gathered for the 12th African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government Summit dedicated to developing transport and energy systems on the continent.

JSE Africa trading exchange to boost inter-Africa investment
[Michael Appel] The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) will be launching Africa Board, its new African trading segment on the JSE's Main Board, which is set to increase interest and investment in African companies.

AFRICA

Meeting Africa's development needs
[Sean Intiomale] The African economy has seen a 5.4% growth rate over the past few years. Effectiveness in trade and industry and promotion of foreign direct investments and public-private partnerships has enabled the achievement of strong macroeconomic management, investments in resource development, and improvements in the performance of the public sector.


AU pins hope on Obama amid global crisis
[Bathandwa Mbola] ADDIS ABABA: The African Union has invested much hope in United States President, Barack Obama, amid the global economic crisis.

Africa's infrastructure is key to economic growth
[Bathandwa Mbola] ADDIS ABABA: Africa's current infrastructure, which has long been identified as a key requirement for economic growth, needs to be developed to an adequate and efficient standard.

Calls to reform Food Aid Convention
[global food crisis] JOHANNESBURG: Calls for reforming a treaty that makes donor countries commit to providing food aid in cash as well as in kind were reiterated as a high-level two-day meeting to discuss the global food crisis began on Monday, 26 January in the Spanish capital, Madrid.

Global economic crisis discussed ahead of AU summit
[Bathandwa Mbola] ADDIS ABABA: The impact of the global economic crisis on Africa has come under the spotlight at a meeting of the African Union (AU) Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC), ahead of the African Union Summit.

AFRICA

GTV succumbs to global financial crisis
LONDON: Gateway Broadcast Services announced late last week that its board of directors has unanimously approved a plan to liquidate the company. According to a statment released, the current financial and global crisis has severely interrupted the company's ability to secure further funding for the continued operation of the business.