John Smeddle

Comium Gambia Denies Price War, Insists There’s Something Bigger

It’s said that the first victim of war is the truth. It seems this well-known saying also applies to rumours of war, as well. No, say insiders at Comium Gambia. Yes, say those who have a vested interest in Comium failing. “The notion of a price war is, frankly, ridiculous,” says Isatou (Ida) Ceesay, Comium […]

It's Freedom Day in South Africa. Don't Laugh

On 27th April 1994, South Africa bathed in the soft glow of the world community’s smiles. For this was the day when people of all races went to the polls for the first time in the country’s history. The queues to the actual polling stations were often kilometres long. Images of these have since became […]

Empowering Regional Creativity

I’ve known Heather McDonald, one of the two protagonists of this article, for the better part of a decade. The impression she made on me, and doubtless, the whole media industry in the UAE was pure dynamite. As head of Filmmasters MEA, she had vision and an uncompromising attitude towards quality in both the films […]

Jocelyn Chahwan: A Champion of Brainpower, Not Fempower

Honestly, I wasn’t sure I was the right person for this interview. The article we had in mind was about a successful female banking executive in what is generally still perceived as an old boy’s club. A triumph of gender balance against the odds. Punching a hole through the glass ceiling. A woman who flew […]

The Telco That Put Principle Before Profit

UAE Telco du hoped that digital fasting would help to instill self-reflection during Ramadan. Not too long ago, one of the highest profile companies in the United Arab Emirates conducted an experiment during Ramadan. The company was Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC) and the experiment was for telco du to create a ‘technology fast’ within […]

The Digitization of Africa: The Mission of Mr. Mzimba

At the exact point where the northward urban sprawl of Johannesburg meets the southernly expansion of Tshwane (formerly Pretoria) sits the nerve center of Vodacom, the only Vodafone company in the world with a different name. Vodacom Park. Far from being an actual park, the HQ of South Africa’s biggest network operator is a bustling […]

Life in a Cognitive City

In 1909 a short novel was published that has gone on to shape the opinions of every generation since. It concerns what the future has in store for us. It was entitled ‘The Machine Stops’, and even those unaware of this novella harbor fears lifted straight from its pages. The central core of this 114-year-old […]