Let us hear you roar!![](https://biz-file.com/b/1003/41693.jpg?1) Today, 8 March 2010, marks International Women's Day. Men may question it's celebration, crying foul that they in turn do not have a special day, but here is what I've always maintained: women have been striving for gender equality and the same human rights that their counterparts have been born with since the beginning of time. In many parts of the world that struggle continues, so women do deserve a day to celebrate the freedoms their predecessors have won for them. While I sit comfortably at my desk feeling very secure in my position as editor of Bizcommunity Africa, women in the media in various parts of Africa still struggle to be recognised as worthy employees in patriarchal companies where they are considered inferior and ill-suited to particular positions. According to the 2010 Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP), women constitute less than a quarter of those interviewed, heard, seen or read about in mainstream broadcast and print news, but there has been slight headway made with an increase since 1995 to 24% of stories including women. It's clear that the world has a long way to go before gender-equality in the media is accomplished but it must be noted that it requires a necessary mind-shift from both sides - men and women. You are woman; now let us hear you roar! Sindy Peters, Africa editor
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Marketing
![](https://biz-file.com/c/1003/45591.jpg) JOHANNESBURG: MasterCard Worldwide has made two new appointments in its marketing department in Africa. Mark Hearne has been appointed business leader of marketing and communications, and Ingrid Keller as marketing leader of customer marketing. Read more >> [Esther Karuku] “David Beckham signs a £20 million deal with Giorgio Armani.” “Beyonce is the new face of Samsung electronics.” Headlines such as these appear regularly on European and American dailies. Celebrities promote products through endorsements all the time in developed economies and it is now slowly picking up in Kenya. Read more >>2010 FIFA World Cup
[Dumisani Ndlela] With less than 100 days before the 2010 FIFA World Cup kicks off, Zimbabwe is beginning to realise that benefits from South Africa's hosting of the soccer tournament are not as massive as earlier predicted. Read more >>![](https://biz-file.com/c/1003/45445.jpg) DURBAN: FIFA President Sepp Blatter has described the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup as a "love story" that was becoming a reality. Read more >>![](https://biz-file.com/c/1003/45578.jpg) South Africa's airports will be fully upgraded and ready to handle large volumes of traffic during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) said at a press briefing in Johannesburg on 2 March. Read more >>![](https://biz-file.com/c/1003/45522.jpg) The media press conference, scheduled for 1pm on Friday, 5 March 2010, will be streamed live on FIFA.com and, roughly 90 minutes after the conference, VNR material will be made available for editorial usage for broadcasters via satellite feed. Read more >>![](https://biz-file.com/c/1003/45443.jpg) As the city of Durban kicked off celebrations marking 100 days to the 2010 FIFA World Cup last night, 2 March 2010, it was evident that South Africa is on track to success as hosts of Africa's first World Cup. Read more >> [Bongani Nkosi] Joao Raposo, a Brazilian journalist, is so impressed with South Africa's stadiums he's concerned his home country won't match up when it hosts the FIFA World Cup in 2014. Read more >>![](https://biz-file.com/c/1003/45268.jpg) Google has ranked the top five South African football stadiums in terms of international search popularity over the past 12 months. Read more >>Advertising
![](https://biz-file.com/c/1003/45713.jpg) ROLLINSVILLE, COLORADO: ICOM, a global network of independent advertising and marketing communications agencies, has appointed Goman Advertising, based in Lusaka, to represent the network in Zambia. Goman is ICOM's fourth agency in Africa and becomes part of ICOM's EMEA region, now comprised of members in 34 countries. Read more >> [Gregory Gondwe] The Malawi chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA Malawi) has called on President Bingu wa Mutharika to intervene in government's decision to stop advertising with some print and electronic media houses as well as barring their journalists from covering government functions. Read more >> [Issa Sikiti da Silva] Former Ogilvy UK chairman and long-time friend Gary Leih paid an emotional tribute to the late Robyn Putter, calling him a "great champion" of the industry and showering him with praise for his "sterling contribution" to the industry's transformation. Read more >>Digital
![](https://biz-file.com/c/1003/45676.jpg) PARIS: Alcatel-Lucent and Kenya Data Networks (KDN), a data communications carrier in Kenya, have expanded their existing relationship. The partnership will make various internet services available to KDN's small- and medium-sized enterprise customers. Read more >> [Walter Wafula] Aggrey Awori, Uganda's information and communication technology minister, is expected to officially launch Mobile Monday in the country on Women's Day, 8 March 2010 in Kampala, according to Daniel Stern the lead organiser of the city's association. Read more >>Education and Training
[Janine Erasmus] Science journalists in Africa and the Middle East are to benefit from an ongoing mentoring programme set up by the World Federation of Science Journalists with the support of the UK's Department for International Development. Read more >>The African Leadership Academy (ALA) has announced the launch of the Africa Innovation Prize, an initiative in which a prize will be awarded to young African leaders between the ages of 14 and 18 who have created an innovative solution to a pressing problem in their community, have demonstrated passion for Africa, and who have academic promise. Read more >>Media
[Arthur Okwemba & Colleen Lowe Morna] Preliminary findings of the 2010 Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) conducted by the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) suggests that women constitute less than a quarter of those interviewed, heard, seen or read about in mainstream broadcast and print news. Read more >>![](https://biz-file.com/c/1003/45433.jpg) The Festival of Media Awards has announced the shortlist for the 2010 event. The winners will be announced at a gala dinner, the finale event, on Tuesday, 20 April 2010 in Valencia, Spain. Read more >>NEW YORK: A Zimbabwean freelance journalist was arrested yesterday, 1 March 2010 for the third time this year — this time for taking footage of prisoners outside a courthouse in the capital, Harare, according to local journalists. Read more >>Mobile
[Simon Mundy] MTN yesterday ended months of speculation about the future of CEO Phuthuma Nhleko, announcing he would step down next March. Nhleko presided over several years of strong growth after his appointment in 2002, and turned MTN into the continent's biggest cellular operator with operations in 21 countries. Read more >>![](https://biz-file.com/c/1003/45693.jpg) CAPE TOWN: Silverstreet, the Netherlands-based mobile messaging and payments carrier, today, 8 March 2010 announced the appointment of James Bayhack as its business development manager. Bayhack will spearhead it's South African-based expansion into Africa from Cape Town. Read more >>HELSINKI: Mobile phone giant Nokia said that its smartphone users could begin making free calls after it teamed up with Internet phone pioneer Skype which permits free calls. Read more >>[Gregory Gondwe] South Africa's Beryl Telecoms has engaged Telkom SA to operate and manage what is to become Malawi's third mobile phone service provider G-Mobile which is on the verge of losing its licence. Read more >> Newspapers
![](https://biz-file.com/c/1003/45511.jpg) A session will be held at the 2010 International Newsroom Summit dedicated to publishing on smartphones. The conference, organised by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) over 21-22 April 2010 at the London Canary Wharf Hilton, aims to provide news executives with new strategies in disseminating content to portable devices. Read more >>Online Media
![](https://biz-file.com/c/1003/45707.jpg) SAN FRANCISCO: The Open Net Initiative (ONI) on Friday, 5 March 2010, said Microsoft's search engine Bing is more prudish than government censors when it comes to sex-related online queries. Read more >>Production
![](https://biz-file.com/c/1003/45519.jpg) The closing date for project submissions in Durban's inaugural FilmMart, jointly hosted by the Durban Film Office (DFO) and Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), has been extended to 29 March 2010. The filmmart will take place during the 31st Durban International Film Festival which runs from 22 July to 1 August this year. Read more >>Promotions
![](https://biz-file.com/c/1003/45587.jpg) Z-Card Africa, Middle East, India and Turkey (ZAMI) has established itself in various African countries including Mozambique, Botswana and Angola. According to Lyn Davis, marketing director of ZAMI, the PocketMedia specialist has a two-tier approach in expanding into Africa. Read more >>Radio
![](https://biz-file.com/c/1003/45709.jpg) ADDIS ABABA: Voice of America (VOA) reported on Friday, 5 March 2010, that its transmissions to Ethiopia are being electronically jammed. The Ethiopian government denied responsibility. Read more >>Research
WASHINGTON: The Internet has become the third most popular news platform for American adults, trailing only local and national television stations, according to a survey. Read more >>Retail
[Dumisani Ndlela] Clothing retail giants are finding that the battle for the cash market is turning tougher due to a proliferation of informal retail shops stocking cheap but quality merchandise from abroad. Read more >>[Ignatius Banda] BULAWAYO: From the rickety old buses that miraculously make long cross-border journeys to the frustrating red tape at the border post, from fending off sexual advances from bus crews and customs officials to losing goods worth thousands of dollars, 28-year-old Irene Moyo has seen it all. Read more >> [Sasha Planting] SABMiller CEO Graham Mackay is not known for walking away from a battle — unless it suits him to do so. Read more >> Iliad Africa, a retailer and wholesaler of building materials advised on Friday that its headline earnings and earnings per share are expected to be between 67% and 71% lower for the year ended December 31 2009, than previously. Read more >>SOUTH AFRICA Lion Of Africa Budget Breakfast More   SOUTH AFRICA New appointments at Bizcommunity.com - more info
AdExpo AdExpo by CADEK Media - Sandton, Johannesburg, 23 March AdExpo CADEK Media - Johannesburg, 23 March "You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can not get them across, your ideas will not get you anywhere." - Lee Iacocca "Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally." - David Frost "There is no such thing as a Mass Mind. The Mass Audience is made up of individuals, and good advertising is written always from one person to another. When it is aimed at millions it rarely moves anyone." - Fairfax Cone
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