It’s getting closer, yes and its Africa’s time to shine and glow. The very first games of the 2010 FIFA World Cup will kick-off in exactly, (see the countdown clock below), days from now. This will be the big climax to a journey that is long overdue.

From there onwards it will be Africa’s turn to be at the centre of the most important international competitions. The whole world had watched how Africa has successfully organized and managed the FIFA Confederation Cup. The successful staging of this tournament have far-reaching ramifications not only for South Africa but also the rest of the continent. Investors from around the world will know that there is a well structured environment in which to do business.

The perceptions about Africa being a wild land of huts and drums has began to change when the world saw the bustling metropolises of Johannesburg and Cape Town, on top of the stunning wildlife areas not far from most cities. The Confederation Cup was the first opportunity to see global superstars such as Kaka, Robinho, Xavi, Pirlo and company, playing against each other in world-class stadiums on African soil. The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be Africa’s time to shine.

You cannot fault the logic, but the jury is still out on whether the Mo Ibrahim Prize for African Leadership will persuade African leaders not to loot their economies of billions of dollars and instead invest them in social programs for their people.

At $5 million, the prize is the world’s richest, far exceeding the Nobel Peace Prize, which comes at $1.5 million. Both are however, dwarfed by the potential ill-gotten gains of looting the public coffers. Last week, former Botswana President Festus Mogae became the second recipient of the award for steering Botswana along a stable, prosperous path and leading the fight against AIDS. Mogae is regarded internationally as an exemplary African leader who ensured that the tenet of democracy flourished under his rule, making Botswana a rare political and economic success story on the continent.

Do you think incentives like this will persuade Africans leaders to do the right thing?

How many times have you been to an African restaurant where you found all the right ingredients for pleasure -- extensive menu, excellent food, professional service, friendly staff, beautiful ambient?
What about times you had expectations for a great culinary experience -- only to be disappointed by mediocre food or poor service, or both?
Craving authentic African hospitality and a quality taste of traditional ethnic meal to enjoy after a long workweek – only you can’t find that out of the way place only locals know?
Wasoto.com brings you a new feature – African restaurants ratings and reviews! Now you can find and share your personal dining experience and restaurant knowledge with the world. Your opinion counts!

Wasoto.com is not merely a new website where you can text, message and chat with other people who have nothing better to do – it goes far beyond social networking. This site is not created for the purpose of wasting one’s time but, on the contrary, to preserve it and use it constructively.
Wasoto.com is uniquely able to offer, free of charge, local and global directory listing of African businesses and businesses that cater to the African communities as well as social networking. This is mutually beneficial to both business owners and consumers. On the one hand, consumers can easily identify and locate product and service providers, communicate and plan travel, leisure and entertainment activities, obtain information on current news and forthcoming events, discuss pressing, current issues, and build and strengthen positive relationships with one another. On the other hand, business owners make their businesses easily identifiable and searchable for customers by listing their business with Wasoto.com for free. This way they are able to attract more customers, build customer loyalty and increase profitability.The goal of this website is to build a comprehensive resource of Africa and everything African, and make everyone – Africans, non-Africans, friends, and lovers of Africa – welcome in this place.

GENERAL

Q. Is Wasoto free?
A. Yes! Every feature and function you see on the site is FREE and for your enjoyment will remain FREE

Q. I want to place my ad on your Website. Who do I contact?
A. For information on placing ads and various rates that apply, please email us at advert@wasoto.comWasoto Website - Advertising, P.O. Box 28491, San Jose CA 95159-8491, USA. or write to:

Q. I have queries/comments/suggestions. How do I contact you?
A. Wasoto is happy to respond to any queries, comments, and/or suggestions you may have. For general information and inquiries, please email us at inquiry@wasoto.com.
For comments and suggestions, please email us at suggestions@wasoto.com.
You may also write us to: Wasoto Website, P.O. Box 28491, San Jose CA 95159-8491, USA. Please indicate on the address label whether it is about ‘Info’ or ‘Suggestions’ for proper delivery to our staff.

Q. I’m a journalist and want to speak to you about Wasoto. Who do I contact?
A. Thank you for your Wasoto media inquiry. Please email us at inqury@wasoto.com and indicate your full contact information and deadline. We will do our best to respond promptly in order to meet any pressing deadline. Again, thank you for your inquiry, and we will speak to you soon.

LISTINGS

Q. My business is not listed on your website. How do I list it?

A. Enlist your business by going to Post your business and clicking on Create Account. Follow the instructions on the Post your business form.

Q. My business is already listed, but I need to make changes. How do I update my listing?
A. You can still use the Post your business form to update your listed business, but make sure that first line in the long description says: "Update."

Q. Some business listings contain images. I would like to have images on my listing too, but the Post your business form does not make any provisions to submit images with a business listing. How do I post image to my listed business?
A. The Website contains a number of modules that we have not enabled yet. Once we enable it, you can submit images with your posting but for now you have to email your business images to the webmaster. When you email your business images make sure you include the business name and location (City, State or Region and Country) for accurate implementation (for more on this see privacy policy).

Q. How do we list our association, club and/or organization?
A. Use the business listing form located at the Post your business. On the line that says business type, indicate whether it is an organization, an association or a club.

Q. I just posted an event on the event page. I live in the US, the event is in the UK but the posting is indicating USA for the event. Why?
A. Our event module uses the information in our database that you provided when you registered to be an active user of the Website. Therefore because you live in the US, all the events you post will be sorted based on your geographical location. If you want to post an event outside your Geo location, please email the webmaster or have someone in that location post the event for you.

YOUR ACCOUNT

Q. Why do I need to register an account?
A. We understand the reluctance to register your user information with us. However, doing so is necessary for us to provide you with the best service. Your information will never be sold or abused. The information you provide is used by our staff to verify the authenticity of your registration and, on occasion, to deliver important news relating to our Website. For more on security, see our privacy policy.

Q. I have registered with your website; why I still haven’t received your confirmation email?
A. Yahoo, Hotmail and AOL have very strong spam filtering because their subscribers are big targets for junk emails. Please allow 24 hours to receive your confirmation email from Wasoto.

Q. I forgot my username.
A. Your username to login to your Wasoto account is the email address you used to create your account.

Q. I forgot my password.
A. Retrieve your password by going to the Sign in form and clicking on Forgot your password? Follow the instructions. You will need to enter the email address that we have on file for your account. We will then email you a temporary password to that address.

Q. How do I change my email address?
A. The Website contains a number of modules that we have not enabled yet. If you wish to change your email address, you will have to send your email to the webmaster for now with subject heading: “Change my email address.” Make sure to include the old email address, the business name and location (City, State or Region and Country) for accurate implementation. Please note that you must send your email from the new email address.

OTHER

Q. How do you come up with the topics for the discussion on the Roundtable?
A. The topics are user generated, and also on current events. If you have a burning issue that you want to discuss on the Roundtable, please email it to the moderator.

Q. How does the Postcard Exchange work?
A. The Postcard Exchange is about an image (photo) sharing. If you went on a vacation, had a party or visited an event and feel like sharing the memory with us, feel free to upload it with a few comments.

Q. How do I report an error?
A. Please contact us with a description of the error you received and what you were doing when you received the error. Send your email to: webmaster@wasoto.com.

Q. I still have some questions that have not been answered yet.
A. Please email your questions to info@wasoto.com.