20 Feb
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Marketing & Media Africa

Africa gets its own domain name - finally

After years of wrangling through the courts, the .Africa domain name will finally be available to brands and individuals from mid-2017. This follows the resolution of a court case in the United States. ICANN awarded the .Africa domain to South Africa's ZA Central Registry in 2014 and a US court has just upheld that decision after challenges.
It is so important for brands and individuals proud of our heritage and wanting to promote Africa as a brand, to have our own domain name. It's taken far too long to get to this point. But we are here now and it is a hugely positive step, so look out for a flurry of landgrabs for the .Africa domain this year.
And among all the positive investment and developmental and marketing communciations news we have this week, there is also a red flag being raised by the UN World Food Programme, warning that the drought in Somalia is devastating and urgent action is needed to save lives to avoid famine throughout the entire country. There is a small window of opportunity to prevent a catastrophe.

Have a great week!
Louise Marsland
Africa Editor: Bizcommunity.com


Comment online in our ed's column archive. Go mobile with apps and m.bizcommunity.com. Engage with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+. Subscribe to YouTube and via RSS. Send all your African marketing and media news and event invitations to africanews@bizcommunity.com, exclusive opinion pieces to contributors-africa@bizcommunity.com and international news to internationalnews@bizcommunity.com. Read "How to contribute to Biz, from op-ed pieces to news".



BizWeekly top stories
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AFRICA
.Africa domain will finally be available after legal victory
After years of legal battles, the domain name .Africa will be available to the general public to apply for domain names from 4 July 2017… read
Nairobi, Kenya. Image by 123RF
AFRICA
Africa pays for fragmented cities, study finds

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The study finds that while African cities are crowded with people, they are not dense with investment, said World Bank lead economist Somik Lall... read
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CAMEROON
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AFRICA
Africa travel industry on show in April
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SOMALIA
World must act now to save lives in Somalia, UN agencies warn
The drought that the northern regions have struggled with for the last year has now spread throughout Somalia, threatening an already fragile population battered by decades of conflict… read
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SOUTH AFRICA
Freelancer.com identifies top 10 service businesses
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SOUTH AFRICA
New Facebook job-hunting features challenge LinkedIn
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Consumers prefer companies that make them feel good about themselves
SOUTH AFRICA
Consumers prefer companies that make them feel good about themselves
Weber Shandwick has launched a report, The Company behind the Brand II: In Goodness We Trust, a global thought leadership study. A key finding is the degree to which products and services make individuals feel good or healthy, surpasses their interest in specific corporate responsibility initiatives, sometimes by wide margins. read
(c) rawpixel -
AFRICA
Eight startup marketing strategies that always work

Lisa Griffin

Blogger and freelance writer for yen.com.gh Lisa Griffin discusses eight marketing strategies that always work for her. read
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NIGERIA
The Style Group innovates with modern social media commerce
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Kwesé TV broadcasts AMC Network's premium channel to Africa
AFRICA
Kwesé TV broadcasts AMC Network's premium channel to Africa
Africa's newest pay TV network Kwesé TV will broadcast premium movie and series channel AMC, owned by AMC Networks International… read
Consumer insights agency raises seed capital
KENYA
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Bamba, a boutique African data collection agency, raises $1.1 million USD in first seed round… read
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AFRICA
Fellowship programme for journalists in developing countries
Sponsored by Dag Hammarskjöld Fund for Journalists, the fellowship program is open to journalists who are native to one of the developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America/the Caribbean… read
Education campaign by Lesotho land administration
LESOTHO
Education campaign by Lesotho land administration
A brochure campaign for the Lesotho Land Administration Authority… read
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MADAGASCAR
Improving climate change resilience in Madagascar
Strengthening the adaptation and resilience of rural communities facing climate change in Madagascar… read
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LESOTHO
Lesotho government takes two radio stations off air
Four days ahead of the commemoration of the World Radio Day on 13 February 2017, the government of Lesotho cut the broadcasting signals of two local radio stations… read
Digital payment solutions for Kenya
KENYA
Digital payment solutions for Kenya
Mastercard commits to financially including over 150,000 Kenyan merchants with simple and secure digital payment solution… read
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ZAMBIA
UK and Zambia sign Energy Africa Partnership agreement
The UK and Zambia have signed an Energy Africa Partnership Agreement, announcing their commitment to accelerate the expansion of the household solar market across Zambia… read
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NAMIBIA
African alliance to strengthen economic corridors
The African Corridor Management Alliance is expected to coordinate the sharing of best practices and other strategies… read
CashlessAfrica 2017 awards to honor innovation in Africa's digital financial services ecosystem
SOUTH AFRICA
CashlessAfrica 2017 awards to honor innovation in Africa's digital financial services ecosystem
The CashlessAfrica 2017 awards honor the best across all sectors and segments covering financial technology providers, mobile network operators, financial institutions, mobile money providers... read
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SOUTH AFRICA
Failure to help small farmers adapt will compromise future food production
Failure to make our food systems more resilient to climate change will "seriously compromise" food production in many regions and could doom international efforts to end hunger and poverty... read
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SOUTH AFRICA
Four techniques to help build and maintain a mailing list for your business

Vera Romano

A dwindling database has more to do with people changing jobs (and with it email addresses), or neglecting their personal email accounts, and on rare occasions, opting out of a mailing list. But, according to Vera Romano, marketing manager at Everlytic, there are ways of not only enhancing your database, but ensuring longevity of interest, and continued subscription... read
Mevlut Mert Altintas shouts after shooting Andrei Karlov, the Russian ambassador to Turkey, at an art gallery in Ankara, Turkey on 19 December 2016.
Picture: Burhan Ozbilici,
SOUTH AFRICA
Image of 'hatred of our times' wins World Press Photo
THE HAGUE - Brandishing a gun, his face contorted with rage, the shocking image of an off-duty Turkish policeman assassinating the Russian envoy to Turkey on Monday won the prestigious World Press Photo Award... read
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SOUTH AFRICA
Putting customers first

Wynand Smit

Business has always been built around the customer, and recent developments are forcing companies to examine their business processes... read
Snaplytics releases Snapchat trends report
SOUTH AFRICA
Snaplytics releases Snapchat trends report
Copenhagen, Denmark – Snaplytics, the SaaS company offering Snapchat marketing insights, has released a comprehensive survey of Snapchat data to better understand how brands are using the site to communicate with their followers... read
Google Maps adds bucket list feature
SOUTH AFRICA
Google Maps adds bucket list feature
You can create lists of places, share your lists and follow other lists, all without ever leaving the Google Maps app... read
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SOUTH AFRICA
Customer centricity and collaboration for all

Leigh Andrews

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NIGERIA
Dangote launches 25,000 hectare rice scheme in Sokoto
By end of 2017, Dangote Rice will have 25,000 ha under rice cultivation across three sites in Northern Nigeria… read
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DR CONGO
DR Congo's street food mushrooms as crisis grows
In crisis-hit Democratic Republic of Congo, people in the capital increasingly turn to street hawkers to feed themselves and their families cheaply… read
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AFRICA
Transformation in Africa requires a convergence of ideas, initiatives, vision
The Convergence of Nations is a compilation of essays from 30 authors and underlines Africa's potential to profit from globalisation and secure long-term strategic growth… read
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AFRICA
$12m initiative launched to boost Gambia entrepreneurship, jobs

Gabriella Mulligan

Projects to support entrepreneurship and job creation in the Gambia over the next four years, have been launched… read
Facebook launches Bots for Messenger Developer Challenge
SOUTH AFRICA
Facebook launches Bots for Messenger Developer Challenge
Facebook is challenging developers across the Middle East and Africa to create innovative bots in the Bots for Messenger Developer Challenge... read
IBM launches free online learning platform in Africa
SOUTH AFRICA
IBM launches free online learning platform in Africa
IBM has launched its $70 million (approximately R945 million) digital education initiative, “IBM Digital - Nation Africa”, aimed at building much-needed digital, cloud, and cognitive IT skills on the continent... read
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CAMEROON
UN urges Cameroon to restore internet services
The UN Special Rapporteur will continue to monitor developments in Cameroon closely, and is at the disposal of the authorities to provide assistance or advice as required… read
Africa CEO Forum, from left to right: Tigui Camara, Diane Chenal, Ghislaine Ketcha Tessa, Neila Benzina. Credits: Jacques Torregano.
AFRICA
Putting female leadership in Africa in the spotlight
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AFRICA
IBM to provide free digital skills training to 25m Africans

Gabriella Mulligan

IBM has announced a US$70 million initiative to provide free digital skills training for 25 million African youth over five years... read
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SOMALIA
Millions face starvation in Horn of Africa
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Connect Nigeria e-Business Fair opens this weekend
NIGERIA
Connect Nigeria e-Business Fair opens this weekend
The 6th Connect Nigeria e-Business Fair promises to be the biggest yet… read
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SOUTH AFRICA
NY Times teams with Spotify for music-news offering
NEW YORK - The New York Times said on Wednesday it had teamed up with the online service Spotify in bid to lure subscribers with a "news and music experience"... read
IKEA collaborates with Design Indaba to create IKEA's first all-African collection
SOUTH AFRICA
IKEA collaborates with Design Indaba to create IKEA's first all-African collection
Design Indaba has announced its collaboration with global homeware giant IKEA to create IKEA's first-ever exclusive, all-African collection... read
Effectiveness in the Digital Age report indicates renewed focus on reach will drive sales
SOUTH AFRICA
Effectiveness in the Digital Age report indicates renewed focus on reach will drive sales
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Light-printable and rewritable paper is here
SOUTH AFRICA
Light-printable and rewritable paper is here
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SOUTH AFRICA
The top five key trends in business intelligence in 2017
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SOUTH AFRICA
Are marketer-agency relationships losing that loving feeling?

John Little

February is the month of love, with Valentine's Day providing countless marketing communications opportunities to express those ‘loving feelings' – an appropriate time to reflect on the state of marketer–agency relationships... read
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(c) rawpixel -
SOUTH AFRICA
Startup founders need to focus on downtime to uncover opportunities

Ryan Kh

When was the last time you spent an entire day without thinking about your business? If you're still working on an answer to that question, chances are you're an entrepreneur. Or a rare breed of hyper-focused, success-driven, results producing go-getters... read
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