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ISSUE NO 74 JOBS, PEOPLE, EVENTS...

PEOPLE & JOBS

* South African companies heading north to get into other African markets seems to be flavour of the month (see Mecer item in On the Money above). Perhaps the slowdown in the home market is making them more energetic. According to Nikki Kettles, executive director for telecommunications at NamITech, 50 customers from Africa attended the NamITech GSM Conference. It has created what is believed to be an African first by hosting its second Telecommunications Training Institute for African clients from 20-22 August at the Kopanang Hotel and Conference Centre in BenoniLast year 20 clients attended. This year, however, 50 delegates will be attending, including delegations from Vodacomin Cape Town, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Namibia and Kenya.

* Jane Mosebi, director of founding sponsor Forge Ahead BMI-T, says the the third Black ICT Achievers 2001 Awards will be more focused than in the past two years, with additional incentives and increased awards categories. This year sees the involvement of the Department of Communications as a key sponsor in the awards, allowing for the addition of new awards and for bigger prizes for the winners. Other key sponsors are SAP Public Service, Multichoice, Lechabile and Kaya FM. ITWeb is the event’s media partner.

Prizes will be awarded to the top seven individuals in the ICT sector, to recognise proactive contribution to the market positioning of their companies and success in creating wealth for their organisations and employees. Included in the awards for individuals will be two awards for students who are excelling under difficult circumstances. An overall Black ICT Achiever of the Year will be announced at the event. An award will also be given to the most admired black ICT company, with criteria for this award including financials, innovation and employee skills development and wealth creation. For further information contact: Jane Mosebi on jane@bmi-t.co.za.

* South Africa’s Ascential Software has appointed Dereck Daymond as its regional MD for Asia, Pacific, Japan, Africa and the Middle East.

* Seven African countries and Malaysia are planning an Internet-based news service as an alternative to Western media reports of their countries that are often biased or inaccurate, a project organiser said. Omar AbdulRahman, chairman of the Commonwealth Partnership for Technology Management, said the Smart News Network (SNN) would take text, photographs and video from member news organisations to counter what he said was sometimes a malicious interpretation of developing-world events. "It is just another source of news," he told Reuters in an interview in the Ugandan capital, adding it would not be controlled by governments. "It may be the same perspective (as traditional news services) or it may be completely different".

EVENTS

FOR THOSE WITH AN EYE ON THE FUTURE...

IIR is running the 4^th Global Summit on Colocation and Hosting in the UK at London’s Hotel Russell (18-21 September 2001). For more details: www.iir-conferences.com

There is a free Broadband Conference gain the UK at the National Hall, Olympia (16-18 October). For free tickets go to:
http://www.broadband-convention.com/

AWARD FOR INNOVATIVE USE OF NEW MEDIA BY AFRICAN JOURNALISTS

Highway Africa 2001 will again present the award for the Innovative Use of New Media in African Journalism. The conference runs from 9-14 September at Rhodes University in Grahamstown. The award ceremony, which takes place on 14 September, will be broadcast live on SABC Africa, SABCAEs 24 hour satellite news channel, providing the winners with a excellent publicity across the continent.

The SABC sponsored award recognises the innovative use of new media in African journalism by individuals and media organisations. The conference is organized by the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University, with the SABC as the main sponsor. Now in its fifth year, the conference brings together leading academic, business, government and NGO perspectives on African Journalism in the digital age. This year’s theme is the Digital Renaissance.

For more info contact Prof Christo Doherty on C.Doherty@ru.ac.za

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