African Business and Anver Versi win the prestigious 2005 Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards for best Publications and best journalist

Diageo, the brewing and distilling company which operates throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa, established their Africa Business Reporting Awards in 2004. And it was at this year’s ceremony held at London’s Guildhall in early July African Business claimed two of the awards. Anver Versi, the magazine’s editor, was voted "best journalist of the year" and the magazine "best publication of the year."

Speaking after accepting the awards, Versi said: “I think they are fantastic and justify the magazine’s stance. We have always been rowing upstream and it is great after all this time that eventually somebody has recognised this.”
First established in September 1978, African Business has provided innovative coverage in the form of analysis, facts, comments, statistics and information from across the continent and is one of the most highly-regarded publications on African business and economic issues.

“Hopefully this will encourage other people to do the same thing and will be the big sea-change we are hoping for,” said Versi. “Business reporting in Africa has followed the same, centuries-old pattern in that people go with prejudged perceptions and stereotypes of what Africa should be. If you look for stories, you will find them anywhere.”

The idea for the awards was first conceived in 2003 when Diageo, along with a group of journalists and other business partners were discussing how they could stimulate economic and social growth on the continent when it was noted the reporting was not particularly positive.   Nick Blazquez, managing director of Diageo Africa, says it was then they decided on series of awards that would encourage balanced reporting on what goes on in Africa from a business perspective, thereby encouraging investors to the continent.

Speaking at the 2005 awards ceremony, Blazquez said in the majority of instances, the messages coming out of Africa are predominantly pessimistic. The overall image of Africa is not a great one but if you change the image and people’s perceptions, then actualities become different. If this were to happen, then investors will change their behaviours and a virtuous spiral can be created as opposed to the negative one which exists now, he commented.
“The reality is yes, there are challenges, absolutely, but there are also opportunities. It would be disingenuous to suggest that doing business in Africa is well-ordered, structured and predictable. It isn’t, it is less predictable than in the West,” Blazquez said.

Other awards on the night included "Best Published Feature", won by Issac Umunna of Africa Today and "Best Television Feature", awarded to the BBC’s Grant Ferrett and Caroline Pare. "Best Website" was given to Business in Africa. The publications, journalists and features selected were those that did not paint an overly negative or rosy viewpoint on the reality of doing business in Africa, but rather a fair and impartial perspective.  Blazquez stated the judges chose both African Business and Versi for their engaging, balanced and broad coverage and that the publication was extremely accessible, covering a wide variety of sectors making it an all together well-rounded and objective journal.

Addressing the issue of how much of an important role the media has to play in Africa’s development Versi said change will be driven largely by the media. “In Africa we have tended to look down on the media and try to censure it, kill it or control it. You cannot do this, the media are the people’s voice,” he said.

The challenge now, he continued, was to put the media in its rightful place in societal make-up. “It is a very important arbiter, a bridge between people and governments, we have got to make the media more powerful, make work more secure in terms of incomes and it has got to be more attractive to the bright, young people entering the job markets in Africa.”

African Business and all at IC Publications wish to thank our faithful readers and advertisers that have supported us throughout the years and have given us the opportunity to get to this position today. Every month we strive to achieve better and more engaging magazines and we are delighted to have such recognition. The challenge of delivering the best magazines in Africa for African continues every month.

The Jurors

Paul Walsh - CEO of Diageo Plc. (Chairman of the Jury)
Dr K.Y. Amoako - Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and Commission for Africa;
Louis Michel -  European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid;
Prof Wiseman Nkuhlu - Chair of Steering Committee, New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD);
Tidjane Thiam - Group Strategy and Development Director, Aviva plc, and Commission for Africa;
Alhaji Bamanga Tukur - President, African Business Roundtable;
Peter Woicke - former Executive Vice President, International Finance Corporation.

The Winners

Best Publication  - African Business (IC Publications)
Best Journalist - Anver Versi (African Business)
Best Published Feature - Issac Umunna (Africa Today) – 'A partnership of giants'
Best Television Feature - Grant Ferrett and Caroline Pare (BBC Newsnight) – 'Coca-Cola comes to Mogadishu'
Best Website  - Business in Africa