Published by 3i Publishing in Cape Town, South Africa, Africa Telecoms was launched in November. It will focus on the African telecoms and IT sectors and, editorially, will provide analysis of trends and technologies pertinent to the sectors in Africa as well developments worldwide that will have an impact on the continent. “Since Africa Telecoms magazine will have a worldwide circulation, we felt that we had to deliver a globally-recognized circulation audit in order to achieve credibility and respect for our publication,” explained executive editor Mohammed Khan. “In so doing, we are making a statement of intent for Africa Telecoms and what we hope to achieve from the outset.” 3i Publishing plans to use the BPA audit to indicate to both current and potential advertisers that its circulation figures can be substantiated, giving them the peace of mind that they will be receiving the best value for their advertising spend, aimed at their particular target markets. “We intend to fully utilize BPA’s value-added services to ensure that we maintain the standards and quality of the publication,” added Khan. “This is all part and parcel of the membership, including our digital media, and we hope to take full advantage of BPA’s experience and expertise within the industry.” Stuart Wilkinson, BPA Worldwide’s Managing Director for EMEA, complimented 3i for committing itself to independent verification and commented that this was an important move for a title looking to sell advertising in the international technology sector. “For a media owner to commit itself to BPA’s rigorous, internationally recognized audit standards is an important step forward,” Wilkinson said. “It shows that media owners are increasingly recognizing the importance of such auditing in developing media markets and that clients and agencies are seeking reassurances of ROI on their investments in emerging territories as they do in advanced media economies.”