The Mail & Guardian Online's Thought Leader , where some of South Africa's finest minds stir up debate every day, on Wednesday evening scooped South African web log of the year at the 2008 SA Blog Awards, beating formidable competition.
South African online retail is turning into a healthy and attractive business as more consumers access broadband and become more comfortable with online shopping, internet research firm World Wide Worx reported on Monday. By the end of this year, online spending on retail goods is expected to have grown by more than 35%.
Something is stirring in the South African blogosphere, says electronic-media analyst Arthur Goldstuck. This year will probably be remembered as a time when blogs came of age, with more than 600 000 internet users visiting blogs by their fellow South Africans in just one month.
Online retailers will have generated about R200-million by the time stores close for Christmas this year, technology research group World Wide Worx said on Thursday. "We can already see which products are generating the most heat through the searches on our site," said Jump Shopping MD Albert Bredenhann.
Information and communication technology (ICT) in South Africa is expected to get a boost from the 2010 Soccer World Cup, with infrastructure providers and local government spending billions to ensure a successful tournament, according to key players at the recent ICT Journalist Media Forum.
After the death of South African reggae legend Lucky Dube last week in an apparent hijacking attempt in Johannesburg, much was said about the singer's worldwide appeal -- and a flood of responses to a blog on the Mail & Guardian Online's Thought Leader website was further proof of his star quality.
