South Africa's ambassadors should ensure they present the country in a positive light, President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday. "In this era of globalisation, since information flows like fire and can easily be misinterpreted, our diplomacy cannot afford to neglect public opinion," Zuma said at the heads of mission conference in Pretoria on Thursday, according to a copy of his speech. He referred to the killing of 13 South African soldiers in the Central African Republic during fighting with rebels near Bangui on March 23.

Turkey has emerged as a generous donor for humanitarian crises across the world over the past five years, especially in the context of Africa. In 2011, while official development assistance (ODA) fell in 16 DAC countries, Turkey's net ODA increased by over 38%. Following the 'Turkey – Africa Co-operation summit' in Istanbul in August 2008, the African Union declared Turkey a 'strategic partner' and in May 2010, Istanbul was the venue for the 4th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

Around 20,000 visitors paid a visit to the African Fair, held the weekend of 5-7 April in Paris. The fair promoted business and cultural exchange and took the opportunity to celebrate a continent often misunderstood by Europe. The fair's creator, Marc Yao, says many Europeans think of Africa only in terms of stereotypes. "The African fair is a platform for African countries to show the wealth of resources they have to offer to Europe," says Yao.

Extracting drinking water from air, building low-cost bamboo toilets, creating an SMS app to inform about water shortages. These were some of the ideas which emerged at the first 'INDIAFRICA' collaborative workshop organised on April 4 and 5 by the Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with design and strategy company, IdeaWorks, for Indian and African students aspiring to become entrepreneurs.

Experts said China and Zambia are expanding the scope of their cooperation and their ties are a symbol of the deepening win-win cooperation between China and Africa. Sata is among the more than 10 foreign leaders in China to visit the new leaders and attend the Boao Forum for Asia in Boao, Hainan province. Meeting with Xi in the coastal city of Sanya, the Zambian president said China's development provides important opportunities for Zambia and Africa.

It would be disastrous for Kenya to overlook the benefits of liaising with Kenyans in Diaspora in regards to Nation Branding. However, the link with Diasporans should not only be linked to Nation Branding but the overall development of the mother country.

If the nations of the Middle East and North Africa are to enjoy economic prosperity and political stability, they need to fully include women, says Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Tara Sonenshine. "Study after study has confirmed that any country or region that ignores half of its population will undercut its chance of success politically, economically and democratically."

APDS Blogger: Jennifer Yael Green

Nearly twenty years after the end of Apartheid, South Africa is still a country of controversy and conflicting narratives.