Africa Communication Week encourages Africa-focused communications professionals around the world to connect, engage and impact Africa’s economic transformation through strategic communication
OFQ : What were the main challenges you identified with the existing narrative about Africa? EH: The prevailing narratives were either Afro-pessimistic, focusing solely on challenges, or Afro-optimistic, presenting a one-dimensional “Africa rising” picture. Both lacked nuance and depicted Africans as lacking agency. The challenge and problem with those two narratives was that they both actually look at the continent as monolithic. Ebola, for example, was registered in only three countries, but the entire continent was branded as a no-go area and this impacted economic development. Those narratives also depict Africans as lacking agency. We are portrayed as people to be acted on, to be helped, whether it’s through humanitarian development or economic support. AM: The framing was also predominantly Western-focused, driven by external influences like Western media and development organizations, lacking balanced and informed representation of sources and stories from within Africa. We saw a need to break away from these extremes and foster a more balanced and nuanced narrative. Who else is better placed than Africans to tell the story of Africa? OFQ : How did Africa Communications Week address these challenges? AM: Our approach focused on empowering communications
AM: The key is ownership. Africans are best positioned to tell their own stories, and the success of these countries underscores the impact of intentional communications strategies. Ghana was very deliberate in trying to lead, drive and craft a narrative about the country, how they wanted to be seen, how they wanted to be referred to and what their positioning was. I would say in the last few years, it has been one of the countries on the continent that has been quite deliberate in prioritizing communication and narrative. OFQ : Looking ahead, what are the future plans for Africa Communications Week? EH: We see the future in partnerships. Collaborating with like-minded organizations and building a community of practice is crucial for raising awareness and amplifying the impact of communications professionals. AM: We are committed to continuing our annual meetings and expanding partnerships. We believe in empowering communications professionals to make lasting contributions to Africa’s development. By challenging stereotypes, highlighting success stories and fostering
professionals. We provided tools, approaches and networks, fostering advocacy and enabling professionals to actively contribute to reshaping the narrative. EH: I think advocacy is one of the biggest tools. Communicators can influence messaging, stories and decisions. By reaching out to the people who are behind the machinery, creating awareness, providing tools and ideas, we try to change things. Over the years, we’ve seen a shift. Communications professionals are now more aware of problematic narratives and there is a growing realization that they are at the forefront to change them. OFQ : Can you share examples of countries effectively reshaping their narratives? EH: There are more and more examples. Rwanda immediately comes to mind, because they are so intentional and also so visible. They really have an international strategy, exercise public diplomacy. In terms of attracting the right kind of investment to
diversify their economies, I would say Botswana and Ghana are leading the pack on the continent. And then you have others who may not be necessarily having a global strategy at national level, but maybe only for a specific sector.
collaborations, communicators are driving positive change and attracting investment to Africa.
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