Happy World Press Freedom Day! Today supporters of media freedom globally celebrate World Press Freedom Day through various events raising awareness that media freedom is a right and not a privilege. In Africa, Swaziland is hosting a media ethics workshop to mark the day while Namibia will host a conference focusing on access to information and women's rights in particular toward the end of the week. Malawi held three separate events with today being the main event in Blantyre that will include a march, social football match, debate and an awards gala. Among other events in South Africa, GCAP-South Africa partners National Welfare Forum (NWF) and IPS Africa are hosting an interactive platform celebrating World Press Day with civil society and the media in Johannesburg. The celebration plans to include media and civil society presentations, dialogue sessions and entertainment. Zimbabwe too is making progress on its media freedom objectives with the vast reduction in media licensing fees. Announced late last week, the move is part of a bid to reform the country's harsh media laws and is definitely a step in the right direction. Unfortunately the scales still tip unfavourably as while celebrations continue worldwide and steps are implemented to bring about greater media freedom, it is daunting to note that according to US watchdog, Freedom House, only one in six people in the world lives in a country with a free press.On a brighter note, World Cup fans may now download the official World Cup Fan Guide that contains information on stadiums, host cities, fan parks and more. Ciao, Sindy Peters, Africa editor
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2010 FIFA World Cup
 With just over 40 days to go until kickoff, the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee has released a comprehensive, easy-to-read and colourful 92-page guide to the tournament, packed with practical information on stadiums, host cities, fan parks and much more. Read more >> PRETORIA: More than 40 000 South African Police Service (SAPS) members will be deployed to all nine host cities during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, said Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele, on Thursday, 29 April 2010. Read more >> [Bongani Nkosi] South Africa has honoured FIFA president Sepp Blatter for backing the bid to host the 2010 Football World Cup in Africa, making this year's edition a first for the continent, and a significant milestone in the history of the tournament. Read more >>Advertising
 Sales of single evening tickets or a weekend pass for the 2010 Loerie Awards in Cape Town, 1-3 October 2010, are now open. For every two grand seats purchased, three gallery seats can be purchased. However, educational institutions can access gallery seats by contacting the Loeries office. Read more >>Cinema
YEOVILLE, JOHANNESBURG: Khaya Cinema, a new community initiative to bring African film screenings to Yeoville, Johannesburg in South Africa was recently launched. The films are a mix of South African and pan-African films all based in South Africa reflecting the community of Yeoville making it relevant to audiences that it targets. Read more >>Digital
 [Russell Southwood and Sylvain Beletre] Enrico Chiesa, associate director at IDmage is gearing up for the launch this year of a new web portal that will aim to bring African films back on screen via video-on-demand (VOD) services. He is also pioneering a new way of providing cinema to viewers in a way that will pay back revenues to filmmakers. Read more >> WASHINGTON: Google has bought an Israeli company that develops mini-programs for the web known as widgets, the latest in a string of acquisitions by the internet search and advertising giant. Read more >>[Penwell Dlamini] A submarine cable system to connect Nigeria and SA is progressing. Three African companies have signed a memorandum of understanding that should result in a multi-million rand submarine cable system connecting Nigeria and South Africa. Read more >> Media
HARARE: Zimbabwe's government has reduced its registration requirements for media organisations and journalists operating in the country in a bid to reform its harsh media laws, a minister said on Friday. Read more >>WINDHOEK: Namibia will be celebrating World Press Freedom Day through a conference on 7 May 2010 organised by the Namibia Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), the Polytechnic of Namibia and Genderlinks. The event plans to focus on access to information and the right to know in Namibia focusing in particular on women's rights. Read more >>MBABANE: The UNESCO Windhoek Office in partnership with the Swaziland National Commission for UNESCO and the Swaziland Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) will commemorate World Press Freedom Day in Matsapha, Swaziland, with a ten-day workshop on media ethics. Read more >> World Press Freedom Day will be commemorated on Monday, 3 May 2010, by press organisations worldwide. The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) has made available a package of various materials available free of charge for publication focusing on the theme, "Journalists in Exile". Read more >> [Thabani Khumalo] Monday, 3 May 2010, marks the annual commemoration of World Press Freedom Day - a day when all global citizens should remember, celebrate and protect the crucial role that free media plays within democracy and development. Read more >>Press freedom around the world has declined for the eighth straight year, a US watchdog warns. Freedom House released an annual survey on Thursday (29 April 2010) in which it claims that only one in six people in the world live in countries with a free press. Read more >> Tunisian journalist Taoufik Ben Brik was freed early last week after serving the full term of a six-month prison sentence for assault. The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the World Editors Forum have welcomed his release, but have repeated calls for the Tunisian government to free all journalists held in detention and to respect freedom of expression. Read more >>At least 42 journalists around the world have been killed so far this year, with 17 killed in April alone, a global media protection organisation has said. A report released by the London-based International News Safety Institute (INSI) earlier this week, in the run up to World Press Freedom Day on 3 May 2010, warns media killings are on the rise. Read more >> Paul Steiger, editor-in-chief and founder of ProPublica, the non-profit investigative newsroom that recently won a Pulitzer Prize in the US, has joined the programme of the World Editors Forum, to be held in Beirut, Lebanon, from 7 - 10 June 2010. Read more >>Mobile
 Bizcommunity Africa has signed a media partnership agreement with event organiser, EduNetworks in providing media coverage for the Mobile User Experience Africa 2010 conference. The event, aimed at all involved in the various sectors of the mobile industry, takes place 11 - 12 May 2010 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, South Africa. Bizcommunity Africa will provide its readers up-to-date information and news on the inaugural conference. Read more >>Advertisement:  [Gregory Gondwe] Zain Malawi has signed an agreement with Multichoice Malawi to enable customers to pay their monthly DStv subscriptions through Zain's mobile money transfer facility, ZAP Khusa M'manja. Zain Malawi finance director Longa Sipula hailed the deal as an example of what mobile phones can do to improve lives. Read more >> [Dumisani Ndlela] Recent reports of MTN's talks with Orascom Telecom have triggered speculation the telecommunications firm could finally buy the Egyptian group's Zimbabwean asset, Telecel Zimbabwe. Read more >>[Chantelle Benjamin] The Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) could face legal action if it does not reconsider its decision to give companies just three weeks to apply for the new digital mobile television service licence. Read more >> Radio
Halima is a mother of five living in the village of Raqayle. Her jobless husband Hassan spends more hours in the `qat' parlour with his friends than looking for ways to feed the family. So, saddled with debts, and burdened initially by her own lack of confidence, Halima launched a small business venture delivering cooked food to people's homes and workplaces. Read more >>Retail
[Dumisani Ndlela] TM Supermarkets has reacted to a market campaign by OK Zimbabwe aimed at increasing customer traffic into its stores. There has been a rush of customers into OK Supermarket outlets since its OK Grand Challenge promotion was launched last week, with thousands of dollars worth of prizes and discounts on over 80 product ranges from participating suppliers and manufacturers. Read more >> SYDNEY: Australia on Thursday (29 April 2010) said it would become the world's first country to ban logos and branding on cigarette packets, sparking a furious response from the tobacco industry. Read more >>Some areas of Niger face total crop failure as a result of a drought in the eastern Sahel that has already affected almost eight million people, the United Nations warns. During a visit to Niger's worst affected areas on Wednesday, the under-secretary-general for Humanitarian Affairs and UN Emergency Relief coordinator, John Holmes, said the country's new government was being open and cooperative about tackling the emergency. Read more >>[Rod Baker] The eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano had a massive impact on many spheres - from the airlines, to events, to travel, to health, import and exports, and more, and its impact is likely to be felt for a long time - and that's even should the eruption cease completely - which it hasn't! Read more >> Indian diamond cutters fear Chinese efforts to secure a supply of the rough gems from Africa are threatening their hold on the diamond cutting industry. In a bid to develop a competitive cutting and polishing industry, China has set up direct deals with African governments, providing medicine and resources to build infrastructure in exchange for rough diamonds. Read more >> BP Exploration Angola recently made use of ZAMI's (Z-CARD Africa, Middle East, Turkey and India) PocketMedia to communicate with all of its internal stakeholders about the transition to its new operating model, the Operating Management System (OMS). Read more >>[Carole Kimutai] As the battle for consumers rages on in Kenya, CompuLynx, an international IT and business solutions provider has unveiled iSMART Lite - a locally developed retail management software solution targeting small size supermarket outlets. Read more >>  [Michael Bleby] SABMiller said on Friday, 23 April 2010, it would take its battle for market share to the heart of local rival Namibian Breweries (Nambrew) by building a 220000-hectolitre brewery in Okahandja, 70km north of Windhoek. Read more >>Sales
 DStv Ad Sales, the Africa division of Oracle Airtime Sales has announced two new appointments in Nigeria. DStv Ad Sales, is active in 46 sub-Saharan Africa countries, including Seychelles and Mauritius. Read more >>Sponsorship
African energy company, Engen Petroleum is continuing its lead sponsorship of the 2010 Africa Peace Award (APA). The company will co-host a red carpet event to mark the occasion in Durban, South Africa, on 30 April 2010, along with APA's founder, ACCORD (the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes). Read more >>SOUTH AFRICA Get ready for next World Cup Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC 2011), being held in New Zealand for the first time since the inaugural event in 1987, opened for tickets on 27 April 2010. Teams representing 20 nations will compete in 48 matches across 13 host cities between 9 September and 23 October 2011. MasterCard Worldwide, as a worldwide partner and the official payment system of RWC 2011, has made it twice as likely for its clients to secure tickets to the semi-finals and the final, as they receive double entries into the ballots. Go to www.mastercard.com/rugby to find out more about the privileges around RWC 2011. TV
 [Russell Southwood] With the launch of On Digital Media's TopTV days away, competition in the pay-TV market in South Africa is set to become more intense as it takes on DStv in its largest market. But below the radar there are several regional challengers squaring up to them in key sub-Saharan markets. My TV has enough subscribers in Nigeria to lay claim to being a contender. Read more >>NEW YORK: In light of the Ethiopian government's longstanding practice of jailing journalists on trumped-up criminal charges, the Committee to Protect Journalists has expressed concern about the detentions of two government TV journalists late last month on allegations of misusing state property. CPJ is monitoring the legal proceedings closely. Read more >> Satellite TV company MultiChoice has announced it will offer its customers more value and choice by adding a brand new bouquet as well as several new channels. Read more >>[Zweli Mokgata] The satellite operator SES Astra will be keenly watching the debut of pay-television service Top TV, which launches in South Africa this week. Read more >>  [Franklin Ozekhome] Eight weeks ago: I walked across the street to join Brandi (Brandi Taylor aka "BT" is the director, Digital+Concept at our agency - Identiture based in New York, US) at Dosi Caffeé. It was lunchtime, and I craved black coffee and a bagel. Brandi was the head of Digital+Concept at the agency, situated directly opposite Dosi. We had broached the conference issue in the morning, but had not yet decided on anything Read more >> Eventing
 Gearhouse South Africa supplied full technical production - including lighting, sound, rigging, AV, stage, set - and crew for the high-profile 2010 Kora All Africa Music Awards staged at the Palais de Sport in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, West Africa. Read more >>Out Of Home
 Do you know what to consider when you're buying branding equipment for indoor or outdoor events? Although some equipment can be used in both environments, it is usually designed and manufactured specifically to suit the environment in which it will be used. Read more >>"If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it." - Mary Engelbreit "One secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes." - Benjamin Disraeli "Jumping at several small opportunities may get us there more quickly than waiting for one big one to come along." - Hugh Allen
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