Business incentives driving new exhibitors
Brand-building, market exposure, new product launches and quality of visitors are just some of the business incentives driving new exhibitors to Markex in 2008, according to organisers Exhibitions for Africa (EFA), a division of Specialised Exhibitions. The show will run 10 – 12 June 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg.

Brainwaves and other things that can harm you
[Sid Peimer] Visit the business section of your bookstore, and you are left with the distinct impression that improbable entrepreneurial success is achieved by people whose intuition overcame conventional wisdom. However, Cornell's Prof Gilovich reminds us that what's missing is the likely corollary that many, if not most, fail quickly and quietly.

Appraising where Mbeki went wrong
[Chris Moerdyk] Few politicians ever bother to consider the role of marketing in their success or failure and there is no question that the dramatic drop in popularity of President Mbeki and the bulk of his Cabinet has been caused by them ignoring the fundamentals of marketing.

Young creatives on show in Times competition
The Times is calling all ad agencies to showcase their young talent by entering a team into its Young Creatives Competition being held at Design Indaba, 23 – 26 February 2008. The competition will take place at daily newspaper's stand at Design Indaba, where delegates can catch a glimpse of the creative process in real-time.

International media planning and buying – and the perils of DIY
[Richard Fox] With the information superhighway nowadays linking all parts of our global media village, in theory it should be easy for anyone to plan and buy international media campaigns effectively. Clearly the Internet is making it much more straightforward for clients to find the information they need and access media direct, right around the world.

Digital media influencing tipping point
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] “There is a huge pressure building right now in the market and it is reaching the tipping point due to the influence of digital media, which many South African marketers do not really give much importance,” said Tony Koenderman at a working breakfast this morning, Thursday, 14 February 2008, held in Sandton, Johanesburg, where he revealed that the 2008 theme of AdReview will be ‘The Tipping Point'.

Aegis Media creates new SA CEO role
Aegis Media has expanded its management team in South Africa with the appointment of Andreas Weiss, currently MD, Carat Austria & Adriatics, as its first CEO of Aegis Media South Africa. At the same time, Edu van Rijswijk, MD of MEC Carat, will take on the additional responsibility of chairman, Aegis Media South Africa, supporting Weiss in this new role.

2008 Clio Awards Technique jury chair named
NEW YORK: Noted director Dante Ariola of MJZ, Los Angeles will serve as executive chairman of the 2008 Technique jury, announced the 49th annual Clio Awards yesterday, Tuesday, 12 February 2008.

Muzi Kuzwayo now TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris CEO
Having taken up the reins as MD of TBWA\Hunt Lascaris\Johannesburg in March 2007, TBWA\SA today, Tuesday, 12 February 2008 announced that Muzi Kuzwayo has now been appointed CEO. This new position will see Kuzwayo assuming the responsibility of supporting and guiding the leadership of all three TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris offices in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.


Guide to top SA creativity now on sale
The Loeries Annual, showcasing the region's award-winning creative from 2007, is now in bookstores and available to purchase online.


Cannes 2008 advertiser of the year named
LONDON: This year's Cannes Lions Advertiser of the Year award will be awarded to Procter & Gamble, the organisers of the 55th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival announced yesterday, Monday, 11 February 2008. This award is presented to advertisers who have distinguished themselves for inspiring innovative marketing of their products and who embrace and encourage the creative work produced by their agencies.


Marketeers Called to Unite against Power Crisis - Power Of One
Citizens and businesses joined forces today to launch The Power of One, a national call to action for the people, by the people to rally together to use less power and save South Africa from pending disaster.

Innovative media placement causes national stir - AdMakers
There is something to be said for media owners and ad agencies that work together for client benefit in new and fresh ways. This is the case with the unusual approach taken by AdMakers International in cooperation with Independent Newspapers and EP Herald to produce an out-of-the-ordinary ad in the stock pages of The Star, Pretoria News, Cape Times and Mercury Business Report section, as well as in the EP Herald.


Claire du Plessis appointed deputy MD of Lowe Bull Johannesburg - Lowe Bull
Lowe Bull Johannesburg recently announced the promotion of Claire du Plessis to the position of deputy MD, in line with the group's philosophy of growing and developing passionate people possessing both the skills and the attitude to lend momentum to the agency's upward trajectory.


And this little piggy went to school... - Mortimer Harvey
A funky, fun-filled Savings and Investment road show where Absa Piggy Banks take centre stage has been visiting 30 primary schools in Gauteng, 28 January – 15 February 2008. The promotion is part of Absa's national youth campaign to promote an attitude of saving amongst school children in South Africa.


Judges for the 2008 Roger Garlick Awards announced - AMASA
The judging panel for the 2008 Roger Garlick Awards has been announced. Headed by Frank Tilley of The People Group, judges will be looking for outstanding media innovation backed by solid strategy.

SADC to launch conservation brand
A unifying brand for nature conservation areas across borders in Southern Africa is to be launched in Durban later this year.

SA's saucy golden oldie scores a century
[ActivRetail] All Gold - South Africa's favourite tomato sauce – has just turned 100!


Vawter, Vawter… everywhere?
[Patrick Carmody] Drinks giants SAB Miller and Distell recently launched two new brands into the hyper-competitive RTD market with no established consumer category to launch from and pretty weird names to boot. Will Sarita and Vawter rely on their parent companies' channel dominance and slick new packaging to see them through?


Cascoland rolls into KZN in 2008 - Vega School
Cascoland is an interdisciplinary public art project involving a multidisciplinary team of international and local artists, architects and designers, as well as urban communities and stakeholders. The project, initiated by Dutch artist Fiona de Bell, is rooted in the desire to research, address, intervene, alter, celebrate and confront the practices of the everyday use of public space, its rules, spatial aesthetics and functions.

Big band, big screen, 3D
The latest 3D big screen offering is U2 3D, a multi-camera real-time production. Shot in South America during the Vertigo tour, U2 3D continues the band's use of technology to create exceptional multi sensory experiences. “Bono wanted to go somewhere magical,” says director Catherine Owens, seeking to intensify the already ecstatic feelings evoked by U2's live concerts.

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 unveiled - Direct Distribution Services
The newest release of the award-winning CorelDRAW Graphics Suite delivers major workflow enhancements, online collaboration tools and expanded resources to inspire and guide Users.

Why marketers should pay attention to widgets
[Jon Bishop] A what? This is the common response I receive when planting a seed with my marketing counterparts about the marketing benefits of widgets. I don't blame my non-technically inclined colleagues for feeling confused about such things, mind you, as the Internet is changing and growing at such a rapid rate that it makes it hard to understand what is worth knowing about and what will disappear in a few months.

Wine marketing goes social media route
Last month saw the launch of www.winecountry.co.za, an initiative of Paarl Vintners, Paarl Tourism and Media in Africa that aims to showcase the Paarl Wine Region and its tourist attractions to visitors. Rating of wines, commenting on the site's blog and the sharing of content form the social foundation of the website.

Attracting and retaining online consumers
“Roughly half of mature online shoppers identify page loading time as one of their top priorities for online sites.” This is according to the Jupiter Research Report. The increasing ubiquity of online services and products, even in a market like South Africa where bandwidth is disproportionately expensive, has heightened the importance of creating websites capable of handling large amounts of traffic.

‘Don't interrupt me, entertain me'
[Louise Marsland] Here's a newsflash: South Africa does not have broadband Internet connectivity yet. So if you're still under the misapprehension that we do because of misleading adverts, we don't. But here's what you really should note down: when we do get broadband, the behavior of your consumer online will change massively. The question is then: have you any idea how to connect properly with your consumers online?

Relating social media to other online strategies
[Gino Cosme] Online success depends on something very important – it requires a multi-tactic approach. I like to consider online strategies as a solution made up of three important web marketing pillars that each work together to achieve strategic objectives, namely a corporate or brand website, ROI-driven web marketing and influence-focused social media.

Consumer decision-making in multi-channel environments
[Allison Ross] Business owners considering the move from traditional marketing to digital channels may have difficulty deciding which ones to choose from the various options available to them. Consumers follow a series of steps when making a purchase. By understanding these steps, you may be in a better position to know when and how to mix and match your online and offline tactics to achieve your overall business goals.


FLUX achieves Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Level - FLUX
South African software and service solutions provider FLUX has achieved Microsoft Gold Certification Partner Level, just three months after becoming an accredited Microsoft Certified Partner.

AMEP announces third Maputo International Advertising Festival
The third Maputo International Advertising Festival will take place 26 – 29 May 2008, organised by AMEP, the Mozambican Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations Association.

Hip show hits the road
Did you know that in 1928 penicillin was discovered in petri dishes that had actually been discarded; the world's first liver transplant took place in Cape Town in 2004; and smallpox killed as many as 500 million people during the 20th century? These are but a few of the scientific milestones showcased in the Hip2B² Road Show that is travelling to each major city in South Africa, in order to encourage more than 50 000 high school pupils to persevere with the study of maths and science.


Speakers Inc at Meetings Africa 2008 - Speakers Inc
As has now become somewhat of a tradition, Speakers Inc will once again be presenting a Speakers Showcase at Meetings Africa 2008 at the so-called “G-Spot”, sponsored by Gearhouse.

Seeing is believing... Launch Factory Experiential at it again - Launch Factory
Samsung's recent launch of its latest LCD and plasma screen range was a spectacle that had to be seen to be believed. In true vaudeville tradition, guests were treated to an evening of mystery and magic in which skilled acrobats performed breathtaking feats inside a luxuriously ornate circus tent.


Glitz and glamour in West Africa's Togo - True Colour Events
A DC-10 plane had to be chartered from South Africa to airlift the 60-odd tons of sound, lighting, staging and electrical equipment, tables, chairs, ashtrays, bowls, carpets, tablecloths, draping and even five whole lounge suites to the Confederation of African Football Awards in Lome, Togo.

Digital expo workshops to offer hands-on tips
The DigitalLife Expo, running 18 – 20 April 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, will feature a number of free workshops aimed at breathing life into the technologies on display. The 45-minute workshops will highlight various products and services and how they interconnect into a digital lifestyle.

Pimp My Coffee Table - Homemakers Fair
So, you're familiar with the Pimp My Coffee Table competition, right? The online competition where wannabe pimpees submitted the photos of their dire coffee tables? Well, the 11 oh-so-lucky finalists have been pimped!


World Orchid Conference heads for South Africa in 2014 - Thebe Exhibitions
South Africa will host the World Orchid Conference (WOC) in 2014. This was announced by the World Orchid Conference Trust at the conference held in Miami, Florida at the end of January 2008 and will be confirmed at the next conference, to be held in Singapore in 2011.

Picnic Festival offers sponsorship and promotional opportunities - CADEK Media
CADEK Media will be hosting the third Cape Country Picnic Festival which will take place on the weekend of 22 - 24 February 2008 at the Bien Donné Farm, Simondium. Last year's festival was well received by both exhibitors and visitors and the festival is expected to grow further in 2008.

End of the road for Zoo
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] After only a year and four months of fame and enchantment that started in October 2006, men's magazine Zoo Weekly and its Afrikaans version Zoo Weekliks will disappear from the shelves from next month, leaving many questions unanswered and affecting employees, readers and advertisers.

MPASA backs ABC regarding Media24
The Magazine Publishers Association of South Africa (MPASA) today, Friday, 15 February 2008, issued a statement saying that it fully supports the further findings of the ABC and its recommendations regarding irregularities on other Media24 titles, and that it is committed working with MPASA members to ensure that they understand their responsibilities with regard to the correct auditing of their titles and internal workings within the ABC.

Adam Cooke appointed Men's Health Living editor
Adam Cooke has been appointed editor of Men's Health Living magazine, replacing Piers Buckle, who recently resigned from his post to form independent creative agency TypeFace Media together with Andy Ellis, who has also quit as editor of Men's Health.


New editors for wine, motoring titles
New editor season continues with the appointments of Christian Eedes at Wine and François Rabe at Wiel at Ramsay, Son & Parker, both effective from March 2008. Eedes replaces Fiona McDonald, who is leaving to pursue a freelance career, and Rabe takes over from Ferdi de Vos, who has accepted a position in the corporate sector.


Eat more, get published
New Media Publishing is venturing into the world of consumer-generated content with the mid-year launch Eat Out People's Choice, edited by Eat Out editor Abigail Donnelly. The title will give a voice to restaurants' greatest critics – their patrons.


Destiny goes monthly
Destiny magazine will now be published on a monthly basis from its March 2008 issue, Ndalo Media announced yesterday, Monday 11 February. Billed as South Africa's first high-end women's magazine combining substantial business content with fashion, beauty and lifestyle, the title launched in October 2007.


True Love magazine appoints new editor - Media24 Women's Magazines
Award-winning food editor and brand spokesperson Dorah Sitole has been appointed as the new editor of True Love magazine.


Media24 announces the closure of ZOO Weekly/Weekliks - UCM
Due to a variety of difficult economic conditions, Media24 has decided not to invest further in ZOO Weekly/Weekliks, South Africa's only men's lifestyle weekly magazine.

Infighting bites 2010 LOC
[Tshepiso Seopa & Simone Puterman] NEWSWATCH: The decision by Tim Modise, the chief of communications and marketing for the 2010 LOC to almost resign from the Organising Committee last week is because of infighting within the organisation, reports the Sunday Times

FXI outraged by Sowetan journo arrest
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] The arrest and detention on Wednesday, 13 February 2008, by Durban metro cops of Mhlaba Memela, a Sowetan journalist, has angered and outraged the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI), which said that the police involved in the incident are ignorant about the law and constitutional rights.

Nic Wides new Touchline MD
Nic Wides is the new MD of Touchline Media, it was announced yesterday, Thursday, 14 February 2008. He replaces Marc Blachowitz, who resigned suddenly in the midst of the Media24 audit scandal in September 2007.


Avusa rejects revised Koni bid
[Simone Puterman] NEWSWATCH: Avusa (formerly Johnnic Communications) has turned down Koni Media's revised offer for its media and entertainment assets, writes Business Report. Avusa has also stated that it is on track to implement its corporate restructuring – listing the businesses of the media giant into two listed entities – by the end of the first quarter of 2008, reports The Times Online. An announcement is expected shortly.

Perlman to chair International Media Forum
Veteran South African journalist John Perlman will chair the second International Media Forum South Africa (IMFSA), the organisers announced yesterday, Monday, 11 February 2008.

Top wireless industry trends for 2008
The 2008 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, was in full swing this week and the key themes focused on by industry leaders were faster mobile broadband speeds and the environmental sustainability of the mobile industry, according to Richard Simpson, director at Cape Town-headquartered global mobile messaging company BulkSMS.com and a delegate at the congress.

Global Mobile award winners announced
BARCELONA, SPAIN: The 13th Annual GSMA Global Mobile Awards proved lucky for some, as the winners were announced earlier this week at a gala dinner in Barcelona, hosted by international comedian Graham Norton.

BP moves up a gear at this year's MPH08 - Brandscape
After the very successful sponsorship of the 2007 MPH show, BP went all-out to deliver a spectacular MPH08 event at the Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg at the beginning of February 2008.


Romantic getaway prize up for grabs for MTN Swazi customers - Starfish Mobile
Starfish Mobile International, an African Wireless Application Service Provider in partnership with MTN Swaziland, are running a Valentine campaign which will give one lucky customer a chance to win a romantic weekend away for two at the beautiful Royal Swazi Spa.

The VIP Playground, a big hit on consumers mobile phones! - Brandscape
Brandscape Proximity Marketing recently partnered with Sound Media on the Playboy/Playgirl VIP Playground tour, helping to deliver one of the best summer activations for Aspen Pharmaceuticals.

Lucille van Niekerk to head up RCP
Effective 1 March 2008, Lucille van Niekerk, GM ofBeeld will take up her new position within the Media24 stable as CEO of RCP Media. In her new role, Van Niekerk will head up the Rapport, Sondag and City Press papers. GM of Volksblad, Rassie van Zyl takes over as GM for Beeld.


Call for Mondi Shanduka Newspaper Lifetime Achiever nominees
The Mondi Shanduka Newspaper Awards is appealing to the South African journalism community for nominations in the Lifetime Achiever of the Year Award, which recognises sustainable and extraordinary contribution to newspaper journalism on the part of the individual.

Die Burger proud media partner to Cape Town Opera - Die Burger
Die Burger recently announced its involvement with Cape Town Opera (CTO) as print media partner. This follows the newspaper's ongoing efforts to give back to the community in supporting social investment projects that focus on the development of skills and talents of those lacking the necessary resources.


Street corner promotion for daily
NEWSWATCH: The Times is being given away at selected street corners in Gauteng today, tomorrow and Friday as the newspaper gears up for selling to the public for the first time next week, blogs Ray Hartley, editor of The Times and The Times Online. “The Times is free to all Sunday Times subscribers and this will remain the case. By selling on the streets, we are hoping to get more people to see what they are missing so they will join the subscriber club,” he writes.

Another easy website builder launched
Specialist web hosting company Hetzner launched its easy-to-use website builder yesterday, Thursday, 14 February 2008. This is yet a third South African offering in this category, following in the footsteps of Vinny Lingham's Synthasite and ThisArmy's Tank.

Ten pitch-winning tips for freelancers - Freelancentral
What is it that makes a client appoint one freelancer instead of another? Sure, an impressive portfolio counts for a lot, but sometimes it's the simple things that are the deal-makers – or deal-breakers – for clients... and many freelancers just don't get these right.


Acquisition sheds light on the Internet
Microsoft solutions specialist i5 has recently acquired Chameleon Technologies. The web design studio has been renamed to BlackLight and will specialise in developing web content based on the emerging Microsoft Silverlight technology.

A sticky new airport platform
A joint venture between Primedia Outdoor and Route-2-Market, both companies in the Primedia Out of Home stable, is making floor decal media platforms available, allegedly for the first time ever, at a South African airport terminal.


Be the first in line to advertise on SA's first Eco Taxis - Tractor
In March 2008 Rikkis Taxis will be launching South Africa's first “Eco Taxis”. The initial fleet will comprise of six award-winning Toyota Priuses - currently the most economical and environmentally friendly hybrid cars on the market.


POP Outdoor's new 3m x 30m site to dominate taxi rank at Southgate Mall - POP Outdoor
Taxis ferry hundreds of thousands of shoppers a month to and from Southgate Mall. None of them will be able to miss POP Outdoor's huge new 3m x 30m site that will be installed in the next few months. The site sits atop the taxi rank roof, and any commuter entering the rank will be looking right into a massive billboard that is easily double the size of anything in this vicinity.


Face to Face with ABSA - Airport Media
Absa Card recently launched a new channel, called Face to Face, as part of its aggressive business development focus. The first site is at OR Tambo International Airport, with other airports planned for later in the year.


Lanseria takes off with Airport Media - Airport Media
Lanseria International Airport's management has renewed Airport Media's exclusive advertising and experiential marketing contract for a further five years.


New digital signage solution

click to enlarge

Sony launched its latest digital signage offering, the Ziris 4.0, yesterday, Tuesday, 12 February 2008. The new software manages the entire workflow from content programming, distribution and play out, bringing tailored messages to targeted audiences through a network of monitored screens. Output includes standard and high definition.

Nampak establishes the first BEE sheet plant in South Africa - Nampak Corrugated
The establishment of the first BEE sheet plant in South Africa has been made possible by Nampak, Africa's largest packaging company.

Wildlife filmmaking course special offer
The Wildlife Film Academy has two places available on its next course, running 5 March – 4 April 2008 in Cape Town, and is offering a special discount to prospective students.

Personality's first local commercial in 10 years
Tevo's decision to market shoX, billed as the world's smallest portable speaker, to a ‘happening' youth market has achieved what many thought was almost impossible – an endorsement by well-known TV personality, actor and Idols presenter Colin Moss.


Participate, don't spectate, in this photo expo
Month of People's Photography (MOPP) is inviting the people on the street to its annual free exhibition by encouraging all to bring their own photographs to the grand opening event that will take place in the Annexe of the South African National Art Gallery in Plein Street (St John's Street), Cape Town on 22 February 2008.


A kiss is first for women - Kiss Films
Kiss Films recently wrapped production on a new 60” spot for First for Women Insurance on behalf of Black River Football Club.


1st For Women's full animation infomercial a first for women - Masters & Savant
With insurance infomercials already saturating South African television, viewers would be forgiven for confusing one insurance offer from another.


Bringing tea to life: the art behind Freshpak's new ad campaign - Masters & Savant
Understanding what it takes to grab an audience's attention, two Cape Town companies, advertising agency FoxP2 and animation studio Masters & Savant Worldwide Cape Town, teamed up to produce a new commercial that integrates art and animation to claim the ‘Me Moment' for Freshpak tea and its variants.


Cindy Lee's move to Sanga bearing fruit - Sanga Films
Cindy Lee's recent run of boards kicked off with a fanciful musical journey for SABC radio station Lesedi FM. The story sees us follow a soundtrack as it travels from the township to the city.


Gooi Bokke - Velocity Films
Velocity Films' Anton Visser has directed a humorous new two spot campaign for Robertson's “The Spice People” for agency DDB SA. The highly original idea features a chicken farmer and the lengths he goes to as he tries to keep up with the demand for chicken due to Robertson's chicken spices.


V-Lab congratulates DTI on revised incentive - The Video Lab
“Fantastic, [the revised DTI film incentive] is what we have been waiting for,” say V-Lab's GM Tracey Williams. “Our industry is getting to an exciting stage. Skills and facilities have been increasing steadily over the past few years and we now have the final touch from government to really grow our local market. This takes the old incentive scheme from one that was geared toward international production to one that will build our local market.”

Spreading the ‘lurv' in big and bold
Chocolate brand Cadbury P.S. has been spreading the love through an interactive competition that invited South Africans to 'holla yo lurv'. In keeping with the on-pack P.S. messaging, the competition urged consumers to write their own Valentine's message to their loved one – and stand the chance of having that message put up on billboards for all the country to see.


Forge's MyJewelryBox affiliates offer a ‘sweet' Valentine's deal - Forge
We're passionate about love. It's our business to bring people together. The incurable romantics at MyJewelryBox thought that it was about time that everybody had an equal chance to light up that special person's life, so we decided to make things just that much easier this year.

Seven steps to superb online writing
[Tiffany Markman] In an email, you have 15 seconds to hook your reader. Only 15 seconds. Then they either close up and move on, or skip past all of your beautifully crafted paragraphs to the end, to find out what you really want from them. And this, even in cases where they've requested contact from you. Fifteen seconds is all you've got.


Livewired 'Angels' support Dress Red Campaign - Livewired Communications
Livewired Communications' Johannesburg team pledged its support this Valentine's Day for the Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa's "Dress Red Campaign". The project's aim is to raise funds for the Foundation's Children's Programme.


Are you ready to think fast? - Crisis Communications Consultancy
The Eskom debacle has sounded an alarm, highlighting the need for proactive crisis planning on the part of every single company and organisation in this country.

What you need to know about tech PR
Vanessa Clark, responsible for marketing at Clickatell, will tell you what you will need to know to pitch for companies specialising in tech at this month's Cape Town PR-Net meeting on Tuesday, 26 February 2008. The venue is Cassia at Nitida Wine Estate, Durbanville Hills, between 5.30pm – 7.30pm. R100 per non-member or guest. For more info, contact Brian@PR-Net.co.za or tel +27 (0)21 447 6398.

Touring through the heart and soul of Jozi
[Tshepiso Seopa] On Valentine's Day last weel, Kaya FM asked media agencies out on a date to tour the inner city of Johannesburg, involving them in an informative dialogue about the history of the city and its culture and allowing them to understand the city's rejuvenation process and identify business opportunities.

A brave new world for HR
[Mark Gray] The media landscape and work environment has changed so much over the last decade that a new approach is required for HR staff to source and recruit talented candidates.

LayerCake launched in Cape Town: Wendy, Sarah and Colette open own recruitment agency - LayerCake
LayerCake is a new specialist recruitment agency for the advertising and marketing industry in Cape Town. It is owned and run by Wendy Rijksen-Bubb, Sarah Murchison and Colette Romon, the dynamic team, who for the past 10 years, were connected with the Cape Town office of a national recruitment agency operating in the same industry.

Are 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets priced too high for fans? - African Response
Almost half (46%) of metropolitan South African adults are not willing to purchase tickets to the 2010 FIFA World Cup matches, according to market research company African Response.

A statistician's guide to romance - Eighty20
Just for fun, this Valentine's Day Eighty20 invites you to use one of our facts to start up a conversation with that person you've been eyeing in the office. Take one of our suggested pick up lines, or make up one of your own. There is a prize for the funniest modification.

New move to limit excessive fees for consumers
In a bid to curb the exploitation of consumers, the National Credit Regulator has agreed to guidelines proposed by the Debt Counsellors' Association of South Africa (DCASA), together with other debt counsellors.

Curvy SA jeans takes US by storm
A South African-designed range of jeans for women with more curvaceous bottoms has been snapped up in the US by bootylicious fashionistas. The SA-‘invented' Levi's EVA jeans are a result of SA women speaking out about wanting to show off their ‘booty' and challenging the industry to give them the right fit.


Expanding the magic of Madam & Eve
The early success of the Magicmaid co-branding venture with Rapid Phase, under the Magicmaid Madam & Eve brand label in Pick n Pay Hypermarkets, has resulted in the brand now being made available in PnP supermarkets throughout the Gauteng and Free State regions.


Kids go shopping and join the space race
Keeping with Spar's 'Good for you' philosophy, the grocery giant is the latest retailer to conclude a deal with Primedia Unlimited subsidiary Icon Media to turn shopping with Mom and Dad into FUN! with new trolleys in 28 of its Super Spars in the Northrand region.

Good presenters don't need Eskom… they create the electricity
[Douglas Kruger] Last month, I had the chance to pitch to the management of a financial services company. I was bidding for the chance to train their executive team. The very moment I walked through their security doors, laptop in hand, Eskom pulled the plug. Believe it or not, the power company's now-familiar foible actually worked in my favour.

Makeover for Oracle website
Oracle Airtime Sales has revamped www.oats.co.za with a refreshed logo and colour scheme. Key opportunities for sponsorship, programme highlights, monthly rate cards, as well as extras such as channel profiles, which include useful reference data such as target markets, broadcasting hours and their individual websites, will now be available at a glance. “Our new design is more user-friendly and content-driven to give the industry additional avenues regarding future options and opportunities, which are available across our commercial channels,” says Anthea Petersen at Oracle.

BASA Awards deadline extended
The deadline for entries for the 11th annual Business Day-BASA Awards has been extended to Friday, 14 March 2008. All business operating within South Africa, large or small, who have supported the arts genre, whether in cash or in kind during the period 1 January and 31 December 2007, are invited to enter.

CNN boosts SA operation
CNN has broadened its newsgathering presence in South Africa with the addition of Robyn Curnow and Nkepile Mabuse to the Johannesburg bureau, it announced yesterday, Thursday, 14 February 2008.

Transforming comms sector challenging broadcasters
LONDON: The coming 12 months will see the broadcast sector addressing new business models for distribution and advertising in a bid to retain and attract new audiences. This is one of the key conclusions to be drawn in a new report by independent market analyst Datamonitor.

Business channel scores in Ghana
CNBC Africa, the continent's first 24-hour international business channel, recently secured a terrestrial television distribution deal in Ghana, effectively delivering the channel's business news to a potential audience of five million viewers in and around the capital Accra.

Top CEOs to school the teachers
Top Class is an educational series with one big foot planted firmly in the reality genre which seeks to make a difference to how schools in South Africa are managed. It is all about introducing fresh faces, exciting new ideas, insightful business brains and well-honed management and people skills to benefit our schools in crisis.


TV in the township makes it mark
Just two months after its launch, Township TV is already changing lives in Diepsloot, Gauteng: around 30 000 people from the impoverished township got to watch almost the entire Africa Cup of Nations live on the new permanent “Big Screen TV” in their home City Park.

ICASA hearings on Universal Service and Access Fund contributions
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) will hold public hearings on Draft Regulations in respect of the prescribed annual contributions by the licensees to the Universal Service and Access Fund. The hearings follow the publication of the Draft Regulations in which ICASA invited interested parties, stakeholders, and the public to submit written representations and submissions.

Giving failed matriculants a second chance
SABC Education and the Department of Education have collaborated on TV programme ‘2nd Chance', which has been developed to assist approximately 100 000 candidates who failed their matric examinations in 2007 and cannot go back to school to study towards rewriting their exams as the new Grade 12 curriculum has been introduced this year.

Moleli to anchor SABC3 evening news
NEWSWATCH: Former YFM newsreader McFarlane Moleli has been appointed anchor of the SABC3 7pm news bulletin, writes the Sowetan, and the SABC will be screening the high profile PSL game between Moroka Swallows and Orlando Pirates on tonight, Wednesday, 13 February 2008, 2.5 hours after kick-off, reports IOL.