allAfrica.com: Nepad Honors AllAfrica with 'African Developer Award'

The Africa Centre for Investment Analysis has presented AllAfrica Global Media with an 'Africa Economic Developer Award' on behalf of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad).

AllAfrica was one of 10 organisations to receive the award at a dinner in Somerset West, outside Cape Town, on August 11. The award citation lauded the pioneering work of AllAfrica in presenting news from Africa to the world. It noted that AllAfrica, which posts more than 1000 stories a day in English and French, is the world's largest electronic distributor of African news. At the dinner, the Minister of Environment, Planning and Economic Development for South Africa's Western Cape province, Tasneem Essop, made the formal presentation to AllAfrica's Vice President for Finance and Administration, Matambira Mate.

The Africa Centre for Investment Analysis, which is attached to the Business School of the University of Stellenbosch, Western Cape, coordinated the selection process, along with Africagrowth Research in Cape Town. The Nepad secretariat provided support.

Professor Nicholas Biekpe, a Ghanaian expert on finance and econometrics who is the center's director, said the honor, which was presented for the first time this year, will be conferred annually.

Other recipients of the award for outstanding contributions were:

Kenya Airways, the country's national carrier, for its contribution to accessible air travel in Africa;

South African Broadcasting Corporation, the state-owned television and radio operator, for its contribution to unbiased reporting of Africa through its SABC Africa channel;

Xstrata, an international natural resources group, for contributions to youth development in Africa;

Eskom, South Africa's electricity generator, for contributions to the development of energy infrastructure in the continent;

Econet Wireless, for its work in wireless infrastructure development;

Shoprite, a South African supermarket chain for its development of 126 outlets in 15 countries;

"Nufarmer and African Entrepreneur," a newspaper for emerging farmers (www.agridevnews.co.za )

The Mogalakwena HP-I Community project, for contributions to IT development;

Solardome SA, for contributions to the use of solar energy in Africa.