On 23 – 27 May 2022, Brand South Africa worked together with the South African Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) to host the annual Africa Communications Week (AfricaCommsWeek) in Johannesburg. The objective of the annual collaboration is two-fold:
- To leverage strategic partnerships with stakeholders to promote the country’s Nation Brand domestically and internationally;
- To mark the importance of Africa Month (observed annually in May) by celebrating the achievements and highlighting the capabilities of African people.
AfricaCommsWeek is a global campaign that is observed annually. It is open to all communications professionals and thought leaders, from government, civil society and the public sector, committed to African transformation.
“As the custodian of the South African Nation Brand, Brand South Africa consistently advocates for the alignment of messaging in communication – across all key stakeholders. As we endeavour to build a strong Nation Brand reputation for South Africa internationally, we also use relevant platforms to highlight our desire for the shared success of the entire African continent. Thus, encourage the leveraging of this platform for the development of meaningful relations for potential collaborations with our continental counterparts in advancing Africa’s development” said Tshepiso Malele, Marketing Manager at Brand South Africa.
This year’s dialogues took place under the overarching theme ‘Ahead of the Curve: What’s Next for Communications in Africa?’ This was a fitting theme to explore as Africa navigates various communications challenges and heeds a multitude of opportunities in the telecommunications and digital economy space. The transformative potential of communications in Africa is substantial. The role of communicators goes a long way in ensuring Africa’s development. Story-telling and information sharing can lead to the economic growth and restructuring that we all desire.
Speakers included senior representatives from Africa Peer Review Mechanism, Google journalists, Initiative Studio, Meta, TikTok, Media Monitoring Africa, the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa, and Research Insights by the GCIS and Brand South Africa.
According to the Chairman of the Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) National Governing Council, Thulani Tshefuda for the APRM, to find traction amongst the people, there is a need to be fully inclusive and have full participation of communities and other key stakeholders in both the public, private and civil society organisations – including communicators.
“Africa is now starting to have a leading voice on issues of digital innovation, and the narrative of Africa is one of opportunity, and technological opportunities. Research has found that technology and innovation frames are widely used in the coverage of business in Africa, and that coverage of technology is one of the few issues that receive positive media attention in both African and global media” said Nomonde Gongxeka-Seopa, Head of Public Policy | Southern Africa Region at Meta.
