M.A. (Marketing Communication) / Communication in the 21st century has been defined as a practice through which members of society achieve shared meanings through the exchange of information, so that the making and managing of meaning creates a shared understanding of a social reality. Recent research emphasises the strong influence of communication platforms such as the media which encapsulates social thought, social discourse and reflects social reality, notwithstanding the prolific digital media as one of the most intriguing benefits of 21st century communication, specifically in the arena of brands and brand awareness. As such, a brand is a promise made by its owners to its consumers, creating brand perceptions and expectations as conveyed by the story of the brand through its various forms of communication. More specifically, media content significantly contributes to consumer perceptions and aspirations to interact with a brand because 21st century media in collaboration with the brand and media-savvy 21st century consumer creates awareness of a social reality such as brand consumption, by influencing public interest on specific characteristics such as the iconicity of a brand, thus setting the agenda for public discourse on the brand. As such the brand achieves an optimal competitive advantage, which contributes to its iconicity or collective high regard that the media find difficult to ignore, thus the application of the principles of the agenda-setting theory, which implies that the media is a fundamental contributor to social thought and discourse, creating public conversation and interest in the brand, ideally infusing the market with profitable awareness of the brand. In acknowledgement of the recognition of the African Development Bank as Africa’s premier development finance institution and as such, an iconic brand, this study addresses the research problem which explores how the African Development Bank uses its iconic branding in order to establish profitable brand awareness among its public sector clients.

This paper examines the economic impact of the African Development Bank on the African continent and compares its resources and those of its counterparts, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Asian Development Bank. The first chapter of the paper discusses the evolution of regional development banks and presents the statements of the problem and the hypothesis of the study. The second chapter analyses the history of the African Development Bank Group, and the .third discusses its lending operations to 1979. The fourth chapter compares the lending activities and resources of the three regional development banks (African, Inter-American, and Asian), and the final chapter presents the paper's conclusions and recommendations.

<p>Africa is a poor continent with many of the worlds least developed countries. The latest years the Swedish export to Africa has diminished, at the same time Sweden continues to be a big contributor of aid funds to the continent. However, trade in all its form contribute to prosperity in the trading countries which indicates that the trade with Sweden could help Africa to develop into a bigger and more important economy. Also, since trade increases a country’s welfare, both the Swedish and African societies could benefit from an increased trade between the countries.</p><p>By getting involved in public procurements in Africa the Swedish companies would get an economic security in the otherwise quite risky market. The public procurements could also mean a way to enter the market or to increase the market shares in Africa. This Thesis is focused on public procurements from the African Development Bank, mostly since Sweden is a big contributor in the bank but only a few Swedish companies has won contracts from the bank and also because many studies has not been made regarding their procurement process.</p><p>By using theories mainly from project marketing and networking, the market of public procurements in the African Development Bank, the process and the ways to succeed on this market has been studied.</p><p>It has been showed that the competition for the procurements from the bank is hard, and that the Swedish companies have not been successful. There are many underlying reasons for this, one of the most important being the fact that the Swedish companies have not even been interested in participating in the procurements since they find the market, the process and the bank to complicated. New possibilities are emerging on the market with the African Development Bank improving the efficiency of the procurement process, more lobbying being performed from the Swedish Foreign Ministry and also the growing African market, which makes this market more interesting and could mean new opportunities for the Swedish companies.</p><p>To improve the Swedish statistics in winning contracts from the bank the Swedish companies need to improve their networking to a great extent. Personal contacts and relationships are extremely important in making business in Africa and also when making bids on procurements from the bank. From the relationships in Africa, the Swedish companies can receive early information about upcoming projects in order to prepare the bid and market the company early. The Swedish companies must be more proactive in their marketing and visit Africa more often, as well as matching the needs with their offer to a better extent than today. It is important for the companies to have a long-term strategy when entering the African procurement market and not to resist too easily. Hard work and many resources will be spent before being awarded with the first contract and thereafter one success will lead to others.</p>

Africa is a poor continent with many of the worlds least developed countries. The latest years the Swedish export to Africa has diminished, at the same time Sweden continues to be a big contributor of aid funds to the continent. However, trade in all its form contribute to prosperity in the trading countries which indicates that the trade with Sweden could help Africa to develop into a bigger and more important economy. Also, since trade increases a country’s welfare, both the Swedish and African societies could benefit from an increased trade between the countries. By getting involved in public procurements in Africa the Swedish companies would get an economic security in the otherwise quite risky market. The public procurements could also mean a way to enter the market or to increase the market shares in Africa. This Thesis is focused on public procurements from the African Development Bank, mostly since Sweden is a big contributor in the bank but only a few Swedish companies has won contracts from the bank and also because many studies has not been made regarding their procurement process. By using theories mainly from project marketing and networking, the market of public procurements in the African Development Bank, the process and the ways to succeed on this market has been studied. It has been showed that the competition for the procurements from the bank is hard, and that the Swedish companies have not been successful. There are many underlying reasons for this, one of the most important being the fact that the Swedish companies have not even been interested in participating in the procurements since they find the market, the process and the bank to complicated. New possibilities are emerging on the market with the African Development Bank improving the efficiency of the procurement process, more lobbying being performed from the Swedish Foreign Ministry and also the growing African market, which makes this market more interesting and could mean new opportunities for the Swedish companies. To improve the Swedish statistics in winning contracts from the bank the Swedish companies need to improve their networking to a great extent. Personal contacts and relationships are extremely important in making business in Africa and also when making bids on procurements from the bank. From the relationships in Africa, the Swedish companies can receive early information about upcoming projects in order to prepare the bid and market the company early. The Swedish companies must be more proactive in their marketing and visit Africa more often, as well as matching the needs with their offer to a better extent than today. It is important for the companies to have a long-term strategy when entering the African procurement market and not to resist too easily. Hard work and many resources will be spent before being awarded with the first contract and thereafter one success will lead to others.

Das politische Phänomen ‚fragiler Staaten’ betrifft die Grundfesten des Völkerrechts, und hat dennoch wenig Beachtung in der Rechtswissenschaft gefunden. Staaten, die formal rechtlich anerkannt sind, aber faktisch kaum in der Lage sind, grundlegende staatliche Funktionen auszuüben, beeinträchtigen Funktion und Effektivität der Völkerrechtsordnung. Die Völkerrechtsordnung hängt entscheidend von der Existenz einer effektiven Regierung ab, die zumindest in der Lage ist, Rechte und Pflichten auszuüben und an den internationalen Beziehungen teilzunehmen. In der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit beispielsweise ist die Existenz eines Staates mit rechtlich anerkannter und faktisch handlungsfähiger Regierung eine Grundvoraussetzung für den Transfer finanzieller Ressourcen. Diese Arbeit zeigt mit Blick auf Recht und Praxis der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit, dass ‚fragile Staaten’ zwar kein rechtliches Phänomen sind, aber der Umgang von Internationalen Organisationen mit den Herausforderungen fragiler Staatlichkeit durchaus von rechtlicher Relevanz ist. Sie untersucht die formellen und informellen Regeln, die Entwicklungsorganisationen wie die Weltbank für den Umgang mit Staaten mit kaum handlungsfähiger Regierung erlassen haben. Das Resultat ist eine kritische Analyse des sozial konstruierten Phänomens und seiner folgenreichen Übersetzung in rechtliche Regularien. / The political phenomenon of ‘fragile states’ concerns international law’s very foundations, and has yet received little attention from legal scholarship. States that have the legal status of states, but are in fact unable to fulfill even the most basic functions, pose a fundamental problem to the functioning and effectiveness of the international legal order. It crucially depends on the existence of governments with the minimum level of capacity necessary to exercise rights and obligations, and to partake in international cooperation. In development cooperation, for instance, the existence of a state with an authorized and competent government is a basic condition for the transfer of financial assistance. This study looks at the law and practice of development cooperation to show that ‘fragile states’ are a phenomenon beyond law, but how international organizations have addressed the challenges of engaging with fragile states may well be of legal significance. It analyzes the formal and informal rules that development organizations – the World Bank, and a range of regional organizations – have adopted to address the lack or severe limitation of government effectiveness in certain countries. The result is a critical analysis of the discourse on fragile states, and how it has shaped the rule-making activities of international organizations.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the aftermath of the Second World War, the development challenges facing Third World countries - those that were independent, those emerging from colonialism and those still under colonialism - led to the proliferation of bilateral and multilateral development institutions. These institutions were intended to assist the developing countries in terms of the provision of both human (technical) skills and material resources as well as to formulate programmes that would promote co-operation for socio-economic development and transformation. If the enormous development problems facing Africa including poverty, hunger, disease can be alleviated, then multilateral institutions have a major role to play in its scientific and technological development as well as in helping to create the appropriate institutional mechanisms for regional and sub-regional co-operation in science and technology (S&T) in Africa. The United Nations system, including UN-affiliated institutions, has therefore come to represent the best hope of realising the dream of most developing countries in their quest for development, due to its institutional capacity to provide development assistance as well as influence the international development agenda which affects Africa. For example, among the institutions in this study, the World Bank Group remains the biggest donor organisation in terms of the funding of development projects and programmes. UNESCO has a leading role as the UN agency whose mandate relates directly to S&T development and peace. The ECA is the representative body of the UN in Africa and therefore able to influence the direction of development policy and programmes. Similarly, the need to develop also led African countries to establish their own regional and sub-regional institutions for co-operation to draw together both human and material resources. However, the development issues discussed and promoted in the developing world over the years have focused more on national income, terms of trade, market access and in recent times on structural adjustment and poverty reduction strategy programmes. But the most important aspect of the development process - the knowledge capability gap (in terms of S&T) - has been much neglected especially at the regional and sub-regional levels. Therefore, in using regional and sub-regional levels of analyses, the research project looks at the programmes supported by the following institutions: the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the World Bank, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the African Development Bank (AIDB), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Thus the study uses a theorydriven evaluation based on INEXSK (INfrastructure, EXperience and Skills, and Knowledge) approach broadly, to investigate the extent to which these multilateral institutions live up to their stated goals of improving the knowledge base for development in the African continent. An important aspect of the study also entails a historical review of science, technology and institutional co-operation in Africa. Furthermore, an important outcome of the study reveals the lack of functional regional and sub-regional organisational frameworks to promote rigorous scientific and technological research and development in the African continent, except for a few centres and programmes supported by some multilateral and bilateral institutions including NGOs. In spite of many years of structural adjustment the World Bank's lending for S&T has marginalised African countries; while the AIDB support for S&T and regional programmes is woefully inadequate. This is a momentous task it has to address if the NEP AD Initiative is to be successful in the years ahead. To guide future initiatives the study draws on the lessons and experiences of the European Union's and the Association of South East Asian Nations' (ASEAN) regional scientific and technology co-operation programmes. The study advocates a knowledge-based development paradigm, which is transnational in approach, and it makes specific recommendations for regional and sub-regional programmes and strategies to promote the socio-economic development and transformation of Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: OPSOMMING Ná afloop van die Tweede Wêreldoorlog het Derde Wêreldlande - dié reeds onafhanklik, óf besig om kolonialisme af te skud, óf nog steeds onder 'n koloniale moondheid se bewind - sekere ontwikkelingstruikelblokke en -uitdagings in die gesig gestaar. Dit het gelei tot die totstandkoming van verskeie bilaterale en multilaterale ontwikkelingsinstellings. Die doel met sulke instellings se hulpverlening aan ontwikkelende lande was drieledig: om tegniese vaardighede aan te bied; om materiële hulpmiddele te verskaf; en om programme, wat samewerking vir sosio-ekonomiese ontwikkeling en transformasie sou bevorder, te formuleer. Indien die las van die geweldige ontwikkelingsprobleme in Afrika (insluitend armoede, hongersnood en siektes) verlig sou kon word, het multilaterale instellings 'n belangrike rol om te vervul: om te help met, enersyds, die wetenskaplike en tegnologiese ontwikkeling van die kontinent, en andersyds die ontwikkeling van toepaslike institusionele meganismes vir streek- en sub-streeksamewerking in wetenskap en tegnologie (W&T). As gevolg van die Verenigde Nasies se institusionele kapasiteit om ontwikkelingshulp te verskaf, asook om die internasionale ontwikkelingsagenda te beïnvloed, verteenwoordig dié stelsel die beste hoop van die meeste ontwikkelende lande om hulle ontwikkelingsdrome te verwesenlik. Van die instellings wat by die VN geaffillieer is, en wat in hierdie ondersoek geëvalueer word, is die Wêreldbankgroep, die grootste skenkerorganisasie vir die befondsing van ontwikkelingsprogramme en -projekte. So ook het UNESCO 'n leiersrol as die VN agentskap van wie die mandaat direk betrekking het op die ontwikkeling van W&T. Die EKA is die liggaam wat Afrika verteenwoordig by die VN, en beïnvloed daarom die koers van ontwikkelingsbeleid en -programme. Die noodsaak om die kontinent te ontwikkel het ook gelei daartoe dat Afrikalande hulle eie streek- en sub-streekliggame, wat menslike en materiële hulpbronne bymekaar bring, begin stig het. Die ontwikkelingskwessies wat oor die jare in die ontwikkelende wêreld bespreek en aangemoedig is, het egter meer en meer gefokus op nasionale inkomste, handelsvoorwaardes, toegang tot markte en, in die afgelope tyd, strukturele aanpassings en armoede verligtingstrategie programme. Die belangrikste deel van die ontwikkelingsproses - die vernouing van die kennisgaping in W&T - is gevolglik afgeskeep, veral op streek- en substreekvlak. Hierdie navorsingsprojek analiseer dus, op streek- en sub-streekvlak, ontwikkelingsprogramme wat deur die volgende instansies ondersteun word: die Verenigde Nasies se Opvoedkundige, Wetenskaplike en Kulturele Organisasie (UNESCO), die Wêreldbank, die Verenigde Nasies se Ekonomiese Kommissie vir Afrika (EKA), die Organisasie vir Afrika-eenheid (OAE), die Ontwikkelingsbank van Afrika, die Suider- Afrikaanse Ontwikkelingsgemeenskap en die Ekonomiese Gemeenskap van Wes-Afrikaanse State. Die navorsing gebruik 'n teorie-gedrewe evaluering gebaseer op 'n INEXSK ("INfrastructure, EXperience and Skills, and Knowlege") benadering, om te bepaal in watter mate hierdie multilaterale instellings hulle doelwitte, met betrekking tot die verbetering van die kennisbasis vir ontwikkeling van die Afrika-kontinent, bereik. 'n Historiese oorsig van die wetenskaplike, tegnologiese en institusionele samewerking in Afrika vorm 'n belangrike deel van die navorsingsverslag. Die navorsing dui ook op 'n gebrek aan funksionele organisatoriese raamwerke om op streek en sub-streekvlak streng wetenskaplike en tegnologiese navorsing en ontwikkeling aan te wakker en te bevorder. (Daar is darem 'n paar noemenswaardige uitsonderings van sentra en programme wat deur party van die bilaterale en multilaterale instellings ondersteun word.) Ten spyte van strukturele aanpassings wat oor baie jare plaasgevind het, het die Wêreldbank se lenings vir W&T Afrikalande gemarginaliseer; en die Ontwikkelingsbank van Afrika se ondersteuning vir W&T en streeksprogramme is heeltemal ontoereikend. Daar is 'n geweldige taak wat in die toekoms aangespreek moet word indien die NEPAD inisiatief hoop om suksesvol te wees. Die verslag gebruik die lesse en ervarings van die Europese Unie en die Vereniging van Suid- Asiatiese Lande se streeksamewerkingsprogramme vir wetenskap en tegnologie as rigtingwyser vir toekomstige inisiatiewe. Die verslag beveel 'n transnasionale kennisgebaseerde ontwikkelingsparadigma aan, en maak spesifieke aanbevelings vir streek en sub-streekprogramme en strategieë om die sosio-ekonomiese ontwikkeling en transformasie van Afrika te bevorder.