Talk about a PR disaster. The mishandling of beloved former president Nelson Mandela's hospitalisation last week - reportedly thanks to a turf war - has certainly left a bitter taste in the mouths of many media professionals and the public. Kudos to deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe (currently acting president while Zuma is out of the country) and his communications staff for their actions since Friday, 28 January 2011, which have helped set things right and calmed the furore down. Bizcommunity.com joins everyone else in wishing Madiba a speedy recovery. There's also been a collective sigh of relief that an extension has been granted until 31 March 2011 for the ad hoc committee MPs currently hotly debating the dreaded Protection of Information Bill. Even more time is needed but it's a step in the right direction. On the advertising side, WPP continues to invest further in South Africa (and Africa) through Ogilvy & Mather's acquisition of Ogilvy SA and the agreement to up its stake in Mindshare SA through buying the shares previously owned by Ogilvy SA. To keep up to date with what's happening in Egypt, please read our sister portal, Africa Marketing & Media, and subscribe to its newsletter. Email your Africa-related marketing, media and retail news to africanews@bizcommunity.com and contributor pieces to contributors-africa@bizcommunity.com for the attention of Sindy Peters (@SindyLP), the Africa editor. Here's to a better week! Simone Puterman (@SimoneBiz) Managing editor PS Our Biz Trends 2011 pdf will be available shortly. PPS The latest Ornico Ad Showcase features TV ads for Samsung 2 View, Consol Glass, Coca-Cola, Hansa Pilsner and Disprin, and radio ads for Government, SAB, Bonaqua, Vodacom and Baby Soft.
Please send all South African marketing and media news to marketingnews@bizcommunity.com, international news to internationalnews@bizcommunity.com and opinion pieces to contributors-marketing@bizcommunity.com. Responses to this column welcomed in our online editor's column archive.