AFRICA

2009 Dubai Lynx Agency of the Year Award withdrawn

The organisers of the 2009 Dubai Lynx Awards have announced that they are withdrawing the Agency of the Year award from FP7 Doha and the trophy will subsequently now not be awarded this year. Investigations after the 2009 awards show apparently revealed examples of work from FP7 Doha that did not meet the Dubai Lynx entry criteria. Read more >>

AFRICA

Is your brand on the consumer's shopping list?

[Tom Sitati] Thankfully, the economic tide is sweeping us back to financial sanity. Susan Tumaini, a Nairobi-based human resource executive and single mother of two knows this too well. She has gone back to the basics that many in the thriving global economy had discarded. Before she ventures out to make any purchases, Susan arms herself with a shopping list. Read more >>

AFRICA

Entries open for 2009 Jet Community Awards

The 2009 Jet Community Awards Programme is open for entries from South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland. The annual Jet Community Awards aims to reward individuals or organisations who build and empower vulnerable individuals in their local communities. Read more >>

UGANDA

US$75 million credit for Ugandan energy and ICT transformation

WASHINGTON: The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors approved a US$75 million International Development Association (IDA) credit early last week to finance the second phase of the Energy for Rural Transformation Program (ERT) in Uganda. The first phase of the ERT program was approved in 2001 and was completed in February, 2009. Read more >>

AFRICA

Gateway Communications awarded at 2009 SatComs Star Awards

Gateway Communications, a telecommunications services supplier in Africa, won the “Satellite Service Provider of the Year” at the SatCom Star Awards 2009. The awards was held at the Sandton convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa on 8 April, 2009. Read more >>

AFRICA

20 African countries participate in 2009 ASDC

The 2009 African Schools' Debating Championships (ASDC) will see participants from 20 African countries contending for the ASDC Schools' Cup. The event will take place from 14 - 17 April 2009 at St John's College in Johannesburg, South Africa. Read more >>

AFRICA

WAN dedicates Press Freedom Day to "Journalists in the Firing Line”

The World Association of Newspapers is urging publications worldwide to show their support on World Press Freedom Day, 3 May 2009, for journalists who put their lives in danger to get the news. Read more >>

AFRICA

Mobile networks seek new technologies

[Sam Hungwe] Two of Zimbabwe's three mobile phone network operators will skip 3G technology and adopt more advanced fourth generation equipment to upgrade services, an industry executive revealed. Read more >>

AFRICA

Two more mobile phone operators for Malawi

[Gregory Gondwe] Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has announced the awarding of operator licences to two more mobile phone operators in the country. The move has however been bashed by some existing operators in the business. Read more >>

ZIMBABWE

Econet partners with SA's Cell C for call-home product

[Sam Hungwe] The 'Econet Wireless Call-home SIM, Powered by Cell C' is a partnership between South Africa's Cell C network and Zimbabwe's Econet Wireless, allowing Zimbabweans travelling to South Africa to call home at lower tariffs. Read more >>

CENTRAL AFRICA

Malawi telecom players irked by new licence conditions

[Gregory Gondwe] Telecommunication services providers in Malawi have cried foul over the conditions the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) have put in the operating licence granted to Globally Advanced Integrated Networks (GAIN), limited to be trading as G-mobile. Read more >>

KENYA

Kenya: Helping farmers at the touch of a button

NAIROBI: The ability to correctly diagnose and treat crop diseases such as banana wilt via mobile phone is just one of endless possibilities for smallholder farmers if location-specific (geospatial) information were available, according to researchers. Read more >>

KENYA

First newspaper in Kenya refugee camp created by youth

The Hagadera refugee camp in Kenya is one of the largest in the world. Home to 100,000 people, many from Somalia, there is no media and few opportunities for many of the youth living there. On 3 April 2009, the first newspaper was sold in the camp by 26 youth who have spent the past couple of months creating the publication, called Newsletter Hagadera. Read more >>

AFRICA

FTM launches Mac Action

A new free online magazine aimed at Apple Mac users, Mac Action, has been launched by Future Thinking Media (FTM). The new publication focuses on the Apple customer base in Africa and aims to provide useful, informative content in a readable package. Read more >>

AFRICA

UBA continues to finance African film industry

LAGOS: United Bank for Africa, a financial services institution, has restated its support to the African film industry through financial assistance. In partnership with UBA, African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) is extending its support to areas such as the development of an African Film Academy, large scale training, commercial distribution, marketing, production and general welfare of African film. Read more >>

AFRICA

African doccie screened at international science festival

"Cosmic Africa", a feature length documentary film that explores and sheds new light on traditional African astronomy, will be screened on 10 April 2009 at the Filmhouse Cinema in Edinburgh, Scotland. There will be an introduction and Q&A session led by Professor Donald Kurtz, Professor of Astrophysics from the University of Central Lancashire. Read more >>

AFRICA

2009 IABC African Quill winners announced

The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Africa Quills Awards took place at Investec Bank in Menlo Park, Pretoria, South Africa on 27 March, 2009. Corporate Affairs Divisional Manager of DaimlerChrysler and Gold Quill judge Sejamothopo Motau acted as emcees. Local Gold Quill co-ordinator and IABC Chapter President for Pretoria, Mari Lee, presented the awards. Read more >>

AFRICA

SA work permit for Zimbabweans

The South African Home Affairs Ministry has announced a new work permit which will enable Zimbabweans to stay and work legally in the country for six months. About three million Zimbabweans are believed to have crossed the border to escape the economic collapse and human rights abuses at home. Read more >>

AFRICA

World Bank approves third loan for Mauritius

WASHINGTON: The World Bank Board of Executive Directors recently approved an International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) Development Policy Loan (DPL) of US$100 million to support trade and competitiveness in Mauritius. Read more >>

AFRICA

Zim ready to work with SA to rebuild economy

HARARE: President Robert Mugabe has said Zimbabwe stands ready to work with South Africa in rebuilding its economy. Read more >>

AFRICA

Donors pledge US$1.2 billion for North-South Corridor

COMESA, EAC and SADC, under the tripartite, have undertaken to implement an extensive Aid for Trade programme encompassing transport, power and trade facilitation projects along the North-South Corridor traversing eight countries in East and Southern Africa after a meeting held in Zambia from 6 - 7 April 2009. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Clothing company makes material gains

[Nicola Mawson] Clothing retailer Pep aims to have 20 stores operating in Angola within the next three years as it rolls out on the continent country by country. Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, was a Portuguese colony from the 16th century to 1975 and is the second-largest petroleum and diamond producer in sub-Saharan Africa. Read more >>

AFRICA

Brewery spreads African reach

[Khanyi Magubane] South Africa-born multinational SABMiller, the world's second-largest brewery, is to tap into an African market worth over US$3-billion (R30-billion) by opening four new brewing plants in Mozambique, Tanzania, Sudan and Angola. Read more >>

SOUTH AFRICA

Do you want to grow your brand in Africa? - Big Eye Branding

Are you looking for branding solutions that will assist you in penetrating the African market? Big Eye Branding is a South African company with a good understanding of African markets and will assist you in getting your products noticed in these non-traditional markets. Read more >>