What makes a hotel 2010 compliant?
South Africa is under the world microscope and the pressure within the borders to perform is reaching new heights. Will they, or won't they? That is the anxiously asked question on everybody's lips. It is clear to each and every South African and SA business that the benefits of a fortnight of international football tournaments goes beyond the two weeks and strategies have to be set in place to sustain the efforts that are going into enhancing infrastructures of transport, tourism and security.

AFRICA

How "sure" is your brand?
[Bayo Adekanmbi] Consistency of delivery is one of the critical differentiators that make for a reputable brand. It's a product's constancy of purpose to meet consumer expectations at all times, in all places and for all cadres of user-ship profiles. This comes across to the market as uniformity, reliability, dependability or standardised homogeneity.

Alcatel-Lucent, OT-IT partner in Algeria
ALGIERS, ALGERIA: Alcatel-Lucent announced on Tuesday, 3 February a partnership with OT-IT, a new distributor to address the needs of local integrators who install and support communication solutions for small and medium businesses (SMB) in Algeria.

Rwandan schools, hospitals to get broadband
Rwanda is set to become one the first African countries with high-capacity data connections to its hospitals, schools and other public institutions. This follows the approval of a $60m regional communication infrastructure project by the Rwanda senate.

Malawi opens telecentre in rural area
Malawi's government has launched a telecentre in the southern region of Thyolo. The centre is part of a government initiative to boost information and communication technologies (ICT) in rural areas.

Stretching for universal primary education by 2015
MAPUTO: Opening day at Escola Communitaria 4 de Outobro in the Mozambican Capital, Maputo, is an anxious occasion as parents worry about their children's admission if they cannot pay the fees.

Intra-Africa business gets a boost
The Desks of the East and Central Africa at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Horn of Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands at the Department of Foreign Affairs will jointly host an Intra-Africa Business Executive Breakfast Meeting in partnership with Upbeat Marketing. This event will take place from 7.30am until 11.30am on Thursday, 26 February 2009 at the Hilton Hotel, Sandton (Johannesburg) in South Africa.

NBC director-general dismissed
WINDHOEK: MISA has expressed concern on recent developments at the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) resulting in the dismissal of the director-general, Bob Kandetu. The dismissal of Kandetu follows among other issues, the controversy over the appearance of an opposition party flag after the President's national address at the end of 2008.

ZIMBABWE

Zim: Media caught in the political vice
HARARE: As the gap between the fierce political rivalries of Zimbabwe's ZANU-PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) narrows, there are fears that the independent media will be squeezed even more.

SOUTH AFRICA

2009 PEN/Studzinski Literary Award finalists announced
The South African Centre of International PEN (SA PEN) has announced the finalists for the 2009 PEN/Studzinski Literary Award. The award for original short stories in English by African authors had 827 entries, 625 of which met with the rules of entry.

Allegations against NCC baseless, says Ndukwe
The executive vice chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Ernest Ndukwe at the weekend refuted allegations leveled against him and the Commission by a member of the House of Representatives, Dino Melaye, describing them as baseless.

Why you shouldn't do your own editing
[Tiffany Markman] The last time you wrote a document, didn't it make you mad when - after checks and double-checks - someone pointed out the error you should've spotted before you printed 50 of the bleeding thing? Welcome to the world of what I call ‘Neuro Autocorrect', where your brain fixes your mistakes so you don't see them. Here's how it happens, why it happens, but more important, what you can do about it.

Zain Kenya contemplates legal action over Zap licence
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) was forced to buy advertising space in the local dailies to explain its position on the delay in licensing Zap, Zain's Kenya money transfer service.

AFRICA

Mobile Backstage at Mobile World Congress 2009
LONDON, UK: According to the GSMA, Black Eyed Peas front man, writer and producer, founder and chairman of Dipdive, will.i.am will be among the headline speakers at Mobile Backstage, a special one-day mobile entertainment-focused conference on Thursday, 19 February, as part of the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona from 16-19 Fefruary 2009.

Nigeria overtakes SA as Africa's largest telecom market
Nigeria has overtaken South Africa as Africa's largest telecom market with the highest subscriber base, Dr Ernest Ndukwe, deputy chairman, National Communication Commission, has said.

Econet Kenya CEO calls it quits
Econet Wireless Kenya has announced the resignation of its CEO, Michael Foley, just six months after he took up the appointment.

AFRICA

Sports newspapers form global association
PARIS: Six of the world's sport-dedicated newspapers have formed an International Association of Sports Newspapers (IASN), aiming to defend and promote the interests and freedom of the sports press.

Investing in washroom advertising in UAE
Despite the current global economic slowdown, demand for washroom advertising in the Middle East is exceeding supply according to the MD of TLC Middle East, Andrew Kramer.


The Dolphin Banner or Finn Flag - Right Stuff
As with most vertical banners, the Dolphin Banner (or Finn Flag, as it is sometimes referred to) is a gregarious specimen, most comfortable and appealing in a large array, making it a great eye-catcher at outdoor events.

BOTSWANA

Botswana establishes government PR offices
Botswana government convened a meeting of public relations (PR) officers in government departments, late last month to find out why information flow is constricted.

Swaziland: Government disqualifies radio licence applicants
MBABANE: The process to award four community radio licences approved by the Swazi government in October 2008, has plunged into uncertainty. This follows a statement issued on 5 February 2009 by the Swaziland Radio Regulator stating that the four applicants short-listed for the licences have been disqualified as opposed to having their applications suspended.

Ethiopia: New 'reality radio' show reaches out to youth
ADDIS ABABA: Yehualshet Getu, 22, excitedly freshens up and changes his clothes: today is a big day. "I have a first date with a girl I've known for a long time at school," he tells his best friend. "After I talk to her for a while I will kiss her."

Liberia: Trading weapons for makeup brushes - but still no jobs
MONROVIA: Tony Clarke traded two grenades for a set of combs, makeup brushes, nail varnish and a short course in cosmetology.

KENYA

Safaricom receives publicity worth millions
[Carole Kimutai] Mobile phone company, Safaricom received US$7 million worth of publicity in 2008 according to a Media Publicity Index (MPI), a standardised publicity measurement system. The MPI figure indicates the size, quality and extent of a company's publicity over time measured using editorial or news content and not advertising.

Cape Verde: More developed, more vulnerable
PRAIA: One year after shedding its UN rank as a least developed country, Cape Verde now faces the challenge of emerging onto the global market as a middle-income country - during a worldwide recession, according to the World Bank.

Super sorghum for Africa
[Wilma den Hartigh] For millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa sorghum is a staple food. It is popular because it is one of the few crops that grow well in arid regions, but it lacks essential nutrients and has poor protein digestibility.

AIR Africa 2009 introduces matchmaking programme
The first aviation industry trade exhibition, AIR Africa 2009 will take place at Gallagher Convention Centre from 22 - 24 April 2009. Exhibitors include SAAB Security and Aviation Systems, Sennheiser, Pferd SA (Pty) Ltd, IndigoSAT and Hiconnex. Organisers expect 3,500 visitors over the three-day expo.

Retailers in no rush to reopen in Zim
[Nicola Mawson] South African retailers have adopted a wait-and-see approach regarding their assets in Zimbabwe, several companies said this week.

AFRICA

Four-step plan to help Africa during the global crisis
[Bathandwa Mbola] The African Development Bank has developed a four-step plan to minimise the burden of the global financial crisis on African countries, writes Bathandwa Mbola.

World Bank urges developed countries to do more for Africa
[Bathandwa Mbola] ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA: The World Bank has urged developed countries to start a fund to ensure more resources were available for African countries to develop the infrastructure they need to sustain economic growth.

AFRICA

Libyan president elected as new AU chairman
[Bathandwa Mbola] ADDIS ABABA: The African Union (AU) has elected Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi as the new AU chairman to head the continental organisation. According to AU spokesman Habiba Mejri-Sheikh, President Gaddafi's election occurred in a closed-door session at the AU Summit on Monday, 2 February.

Swaziland: The future looks better but the need is now
MBABANE: Goods rain, after years of drought, promises a better harvest for Swaziland in the next few months, but right now urban Swazis are struggling with soaring food prices in the shops.

Globacom sponsors Ghana football
Nigerian telecommunications company, Globacom, has signed an agreement with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) as its national team's telecommunications sponsor.

AFRICA

‘Inside Africa' from the AU Summit
This weekend's ‘Inside Africa' on CNN International is presented by CNN's Johannesburg-based correspondent, Robyn Curnow, from the African Union Heads of State Meeting from Addis Adaba, Ethiopia.

AFRICA

Malawi GTV subscribers cry foul over liquidation
[Gregory Gondwe] Malawian subscribers to GTV have cried foul over the manner in which the company has deserted them. In Malawi, GTV services started in 2007 through its local dealer Kameko Technologies which managed to establish a customer base of about 10,000 subscribers.