Obama - winner of the digital race
[Chipo Madusise] Dubbed ‘the online battle', the 2008 US Presidential election has ushered in a new era for digital media. The effectiveness of the Obama campaign has set a new benchmark for all advertisers, marketers and other politicians. Barack Obama has won an election fought mainly online. He has used an array of online channels from email to video to in-gaming.

AFRICA

WFA launches Asia-Pacific network
BRUSSELS: The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) plans to launch a media and marketing network for the Asia-Pacific region aiming to bring together marketers across countries in the region. The network will be chaired by Rahul Welde, vice president, media, Unilever - Asia, Africa, Middle East and Turkey, who will also join the WFA's executive committee.

Bizcommunity.com Breakfasts focus on doing business with Africa - Bizcommunity.com
Africa is alive with possibilities, but how do you penetrate the continent? Now, Upbeat Marketing, in partnership with Bizcommunity.com, is hosting a series of breakfasts designed be a platform on which South African-based businesses with broader African strategies can be informed on the ins and outs of doing business with Africa, and in Africa.

2010 World Cup ticket frenzy on FIFA website
JOHANNESBURG: FIFA has reported that a scramble for tickets ensued on its website following the launch of 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets globally on 20 February 2009.

SOUTH AFRICA

Sprint for 2010 tickets begins
[Michael Appel] The sprint is on for tickets to Africa's very first 2010 FIFA World Cup, with ticket application forms available from most FNB branches, as well as on fifa.com from 1pm local time on Friday, 20 February 2009. [video]

UGANDA

Media CEO threatens to cut publicity
[Walter Wafula] There's every reason for companies to cut back expenditure to survive the effects of the current global financial crisis. However, Robert Kabushenga, chief executive officer of New Vision Printing and Publishing Company has warned companies in Uganda against chopping off advertising expenses from their budget because it will put their popularity on the line.

MOZAMBIQUE

Top agencies partake in Maputo Ad Festival
MAPUTO: LV Ogilvy (Reunion-France), Executive Center and Orion (both from Angola), sabiOne.com (England) and McCann Ericksson (Portugal) are the first agencies to inform the organising committee of their interest in taking part in the 4th Maputo International Advertising Festival.

Four steps to harness social computing in CRM - Gartner
EGHAM, UK: Social computing is becoming a significant customer relationship management (CRM) market trend and represents a disruptive force in this market, according to Gartner. Gartner predicts that, by 2010, more than 60% of Fortune 1000 companies will have some form of online community that can be used for customer relationship purposes.

Zain presents donation to Nelson Mandela Foundation
The Zain Group, mobile telecommunications operator in the Middle East and Africa, have donated $85,863 to the Nelson Mandela Foundation from funds raised in a SMS competition held last year. The competition formed part of a global SMS birthday wishes campaign prior to the 46664 Concert honouring Nelson Mandela at 90 held in June at Hyde Park in London.

SA to revive literary classics in indigenous languages
[Proffesor Ndawonde] PRETORIA: The South African Department of Arts and Culture has tasked the National Library of South Africa to reprint literary classics in indigenous languages to help preserve the country's heritage.

African organistions invest in management education
An analysis of enrolment statistics on a management development programme at the UCT Graduate School of Business (GSB) has highlighted that an increasing number of African organisations are investing in management education.

IPI calls for release of detained journalists
VIENNA: The Eritrean government should abide by its own laws and release journalists who have been imprisoned for years without the benefit of a court hearing or legal representation, the International Press Institute said on Thursday, 19 February.

AFRICA

Africa Business Reporting Awards 2009 launched
Diageo has launched its sixth annual Africa Business Reporting Awards. Aiming at encouraging more prolific business journalism in Africa and to increase the continent's share of voice in the international media, the closing date for entry is 15 April 2009

Mediatech Africa 2009 for Joburg
Trade exhibition Mediatech Africa 2009 will take place from 23 - 25 July 2009 at the Coca-Cola Dome at Northgate, Johannesburg, South Africa. The exhibit showcases new technology and services from TV and broadcast, sound and audio, lighting and staging, animation, communication and related fields.


CNN Multichoice African Journalist Awards 2009 deadline extention
The CNN MultiChoice African journalist awards competition entry deadline has been extended from 16 February 2009 to 16 March 2009 and the judging will take place in April. All entries should be broadcast or published during January - December 2008. The competition is open to African nationals who are professional journalists including freelancers across print, television, internet, photographic and radio. Entry details can be found here.

Econet to reduce telecommunication tariffs
[Sam Hungwe] Econet Wireless, Zimbabwe's largest mobile phone network, says it is moved by public calls for affordable services and was beginning to take measures to lower tariffs.

Opera Mini for Vodafone EMEA customers
OSLO, NORWAY & BARCELONA, SPAIN: Vodafone signed an agreement with Opera Software earlier this week to develop a custom-made version of the Opera Mini mobile browser to be made available in Vodafone markets across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Short films, big ideas
[Angus Robinson] MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS, BARCELONA, SPAIN: Kevin Spacey was certainly the star attraction at the Mobile World Congress yesterday, Thursday, 19 February 2009, with Will.I.am from the Black-Eyed Peas and Chris DeWolf of MySpace also making showings in the mobile entertainment sessions.


47 000 visitors at Mobile World Congress 2009
MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS, BARCELONA, SPAIN: The GSMA has reported that more than 47 000 visitors from 189 countries attended last week's GSMA 2009 Mobile World Congress conference and exhibition. Attendees included mobile operators, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies and media and entertainment organisations, and government delegations.

AFRICA

Ericsson, Orange connect rural Africa
STOCKHOLM: Orange Guinea Conakry and Ericsson are deploying base stations fully powered by solar energy, to connect remote parts of rural Africa. Using Ericsson's base stations, a hybrid diesel-battery solution and solar panels, Orange aims to increase mobile coverage in rural and urban areas, and help reduce CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020.


Zain selects Oberthur for mobile commerce service
PARIS: Oberthur Technologies, a supplier of smart card-based solutions, announced its selection by Zain Group to provide end-to-end security solutions for mobile commerce services, including security platform and SIM application for secure payment transactions. The solution was commercially launched by Zain under the name Zap in East Africa.

AFRICA

14th Global Mobile Awards winners announced
BARCELONA: The GSMA announced the winners of the 14th Annual Global Mobile Awards at a gala dinner at the National Palace in Barcelona, hosted by comedian, Michael McIntyre. The ceremony, held yesterday, 17 February, also revealed the Global Champion of the GSMA's 2009 Mobile Innovation Global Award Competition.

Online mobile navigation for Africa
Garmap, provider of mapping data to Garmin navigation products in Africa, is partnering with mobile application developer, Appello, to develop Garmap for Mobile as part of Garmap's mobile phone navigation offering.

Tanzanian newspapers accused of defamatory reports
On 13 February 2009, the Tanzanian minister of information, sports and culture ordered three newspapers to provide reasons why they published what he calls "defamatory" news reports. The newspapers in question are Taifa Letu, "Sema Usikize and Taifa Tanzania.

ZAMBIA: Copper loses it shine and Copperbelt its jobs
LUANSHYA: The sharp fall in international copper prices is leading to huge job losses and deepening poverty in Zambia's economic heartland, Copperbelt Province.

ZIMBABWE: Remittances saved the country from collapse
HARARE: The official sanctioning of foreign currency as legal tender in Zimbabwe to tackle hyperinflation is bringing into sharp relief how remittances have staved off the country's complete collapse in recent years.

ZIMBABWE

Finance ministers to discuss Zimbabwe's economic bailout
HARARE: Zimbabwe's Finance Minister Tendai Biti and his South African counterpart, Trevor Manuel will continue talks on a safe exit out of the current economic crisis that has left the country in the world's highest inflation, last estimated at over 231 million.

AFRICA

Transport links in Africa to boost trade
LONDON, UK: Trade routes across Africa could soon be revolutionised as a result of an ambitious transport initiative set out by International Development Minister Gareth Thomas on 19 February, 2009.

Nigeria: Urbanisation chokes commerce
KANO: Shop owners in Nigeria's northern Kano state told IRIN a government plan to wipe out illegal businesses has thousands of small business owners floundering in a region where population density and unemployment are among the highest nationwide.

ZIMBABWE

Zim banks to import foreign cash
[Sam Hungwe] Zimbabwe's central bank has ordered banks to start importing foreign currency from their nostro accounts as banks began grappling with increasing demand for foreign cash, bankers said. A nostro account is a bank account established in a foreign country for the purpose of holding that country's currency.

ZIMBABWE

Brand torn by wrangling
[Sam Hungwe] John Moxon, chairman of Kingdom Meikles Africa (KMAL), has fallen out irretrievably with Nigel Chanakira, the group CEO whose banking group, Kingdom Financial Holdings (KFHL) merged with Meikles Africa to create KMAL, triggering the specification of Moxon and family members by Robert Mugabe's government.

China pledges support for Africa despite economic slowdown
[Michael Appel] China's Ambassador to South Africa, Zhong Jianhua, has confirmed China will not reduce its investment in Africa, and is even considering expanding aid to the continent during the global recession.

Philips creates solar-powered reading light
Philips has developed a solar powered reading light called ‘My reading light'. This tool is aimed at the education sector in Africa allowing school children to continue with their homework after sunset.

AFRICA

Cash Call TV introduced in Malawi
[Gregory Gondwe] Jet Telecom, a telecommunications value-added service provider that operates in Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia and Uganda has introduced an interactive television game show in Malawi. "Cash Call," broadcast on Malawi Television (TVM) combines entertainment and education, testing viewers' knowledge on a range of issues.