EXCLUSIVE: Lowe drops Bull, Peter Badenhorst joins as ECD

[Herman Manson: @marklives] Lowe Bull is rebranding as Lowe and Partners South Africa after the international parent company acquired a majority share in the local agency. Its two offices become Lowe Johannesburg and Lowe Cape Town. 20 Feb 2012 09:24

Don't know how to structure a speech?

[Douglas Kruger] Ever sat staring at a computer screen, agonising over how to structure that crucial presentation? The future of humanity depends upon it, and so far, you have a blinking cursor... ...And a note to pick up some chicken spice. 17 Feb 2012 10:23

Google vs gut: how to screen clients

[Jo Duxbury] Whether you're a big agency, or a small one, or a freelancer, chances are that when a new client starts nosing around, contemplating working with you, they'll do some background checking. After all, they're going to be giving you money and they need to know you'll be able to deliver what they order. 17 Feb 2012 10:39

Get the push vs pull marketing balance right

[Vanessa Clark] In Hugh Lofting's Doctor Doolittle books, the Pushmi-pullyu is a rare animal from Africa with two heads, half gazelle and half unicorn. When it tries to move, it gets pulled in two different directions. It wouldn't be surprising if many marketers feel like this at the moment, trying to navigate the rapidly changing digital marketing world, and getting the balance right between push and pull marketing. 16 Feb 2012 08:34

Market domination via name identity

[Naseem Javed] Global corporate nomenclature is making history, right now, as the ICANN gTLD platform opens in full swing; the established and largest name brands of the world are now pitted against the newest, recently incubated, globally poised but relatively unknown name brands. 15 Feb 2012 14:18

Mobile in Africa: Insights from Research ICT

[Wikus Engelbrecht] There are many statistics, research documents and reports on the growth and opportunities in mobile communications and marketing on the African continent. While those papers look grand and promising, what is the status of mobile use and adaptation to new mobile technologies among actual users, both in rural and urban environments? 20 Feb 2012 12:24

Making money on the internet in Africa

[Vanessa Clark] Despite a lack of appropriate electronic payment systems and expensive shipping costs continuing to plague the African e-commerce sector, making money on the internet is increasingly a reality for many African entrepreneurs. 20 Feb 2012 09:49

Returning film producers seek to improve African filmmaking

Following their visit to the International Film Festival of Rotterdam (IFFR) earlier this month, the returning African film producers, Rwandan Joel Karekezi, and South African producers James Tayler and Noxy Mavundla are convinced that the local film industry's market potential could be unlocked through creatively exchanging ideas with the rest of Africa. 20 Feb 2012 11:04

Africa sprints ahead with mobile banking

[Vanessa Clark] With all the right ingredients for a successful banking on-the-go eco-system to develop, Africa is the leading the way in mobile banking. 13 Feb 2012 11:17

Summit to depict future of healthcare in Africa

New research predicting the future of African healthcare in 2022 is set to be launched at the Economist Conferences' Healthcare in Africa summit in Cape Town, South Africa on 6-7 March 2012. 16 Feb 2012 14:26

Warid Mobicash launches in Congo

Warid Congo S.A, a telecommunication operator in Congo, on Wednesday, 15 February 2012, announced the launch of Warid Mobicash across its network. This offer is based on the Mobile Money technology from Mobicash. 17 Feb 2012 11:39

Airtel, FirstBank partner on mobile money service

e-Banking services in Nigeria is set to witness a shift as FirstBank of Nigeria Plc (FirstBank) and Airtel Networks Limited have agreed to combine their strengths to provide mobile money services to millions of Nigerians. 20 Feb 2012 10:17

MTN tops advertising spend in Uganda

[Walter Wafula] MTN, Uganda's largest mobile operator, maintained its lead as top advertiser in the country in 2011, according to a new media report by Ipsos-Synovate. 22 Feb 2012 13:43