Untapped Opportunities for Global Firms: Rethinking PR in Africa

By Eloïne Barry, Founder and CEO, African Media Agency (AMA)

When I began working in public relations in Africa over fifteen years ago, the landscape looked very different. Our work revolved largely around NGOs, international organizations, and public health campaigns. At the time, global perception of Africa was still shaped by outdated and often condescending narratives, epitomized by The Economist’s infamous “The Dark Continent” cover. Communications was primarily about awareness and behavior change, which was relevant work, but too often directed by foreign priorities rather than African markets or consumers.

There was little space for other industries to use strategic communication as a business enabler. Few global firms viewed Africa as a communications frontier. Most saw it as a philanthropic one.

That has changed dramatically. Today, a new generation of audiences, media, and markets is reshaping how influence is built across the continent. Beyond the traditional “big three”: Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, markets like Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Uganda, together with the broader Francophone Africa corridor, are leading a quiet transformation in how brands earn trust and visibility.

These markets are vibrant, creative, and young. Ghana now accounts for over 17 million internet users, most of them digital natives who consume and create content across multiple platforms. In Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan’s media environment and creative industries shape discourse across Francophone Africa, influencing more than 150 million consumers. In Uganda, where the internet penetration has surpassed 50% but radio remains the most trusted channel, communications thrive at the intersection of innovation and tradition.

Across these regions, the same pattern emerges: the audience is discerning and the rules of engagement are evolving fast. Communication in Africa today is less about information delivery and more about relationship capital, building credibility through local insight, cultural fluency, and sustained presence.

But, despite this dynamism, many global firms still overlook these opportunities. Francophone Africa, for example, remains one of the least prioritized in international communications planning, often due to linguistic and structural blind spots. The oversight is costly. The region’s civic discourse and youth-driven digital storytelling are growing rapidly, offering fertile ground for brands ready to invest in meaningful engagement.

The shift in Africa’s PR landscape is also visible across industries.

Where Opportunities Lie

The continent’s fintech revolution is a case in point. Africa’s fintech sector is projected to exceed US $65 billion by 2030, growing at more than 30% annually, with mobile-money transactions already surpassing US $900 billion in 2023. Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Uganda all have thriving fintech ecosystems, but they face a common challenge: trust. Effective communication here is not about product launches, it is about communicating complex concepts that are helping users, regulators, and investors understand how technology changes lives.

In agriculture, which employs over 60% of Africans and accounts for roughly 35% of the continent’s GDP, the narrative is shifting from subsistence to sustainability. The region’s transformation, from Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa and Ghana’s cashews to Uganda’s coffee exports, deserves storytelling that highlights productivity, innovation, and climate resilience. 

Communicators can reposition Africa from being perceived as a supplier of raw commodities to being recognized as a driver of global food solutions.

The tourism sector offers another clear example of narrative opportunity. International arrivals across Africa are expected to reach 80% of pre-pandemic levels by 2025, and Ghana’s Year of Return remains a benchmark in nation branding through storytelling. The opportunity now lies in crafting stories that go beyond safari clichés, and instead build narratives that highlight culture, community, and creativity, reflecting the continent’s evolving identity.

In sports, entrepreneurship, and science, Africa’s potential is both cultural and commercial. The sports economy, though currently less than 1% of GDP, is growing rapidly, fueled by football, basketball, and youth participation. At the same time, entrepreneurship and scientific research in fields such as technology, health, and innovation are redefining aspiration and reshaping how Africa contributes to global knowledge. Science, in particular, presents an opportunity to communicate about sovereignty and leadership, by profiling African scientists and showcasing how they drive research that addresses the continent’s priorities. For communicators, this is not about promotion but positioning, showing how brands and institutions enable ecosystems of talent, discovery, and opportunity.

From Communication to Narrative Intelligence

Across these industries and markets, one truth holds: credibility is the new currency. African audiences are globally connected yet deeply local. They value authenticity, representation, and humility from the brands that seek to engage them.

For global firms, success in Africa will depend less on how loudly they speak, and more on how well they listen. The next frontier of public relations on the continent is not expansion for expansion’s sake, it is understanding.

Communicators who move from message delivery to narrative intelligence, the ability to craft insight-led, culturally informed, and locally rooted stories, will define meaningful impact over the next decade.

Africa’s markets are no longer waiting to be told their story. They are writing it, in French, in English, in local languages, and increasingly, on their own terms.

Bio

Eloïne Barry is the Founder & CEO of African Media Agency (AMA), an award-winning Abidjan-based company founded as an answer to the rising need of multinationals, NGOs and international organizations to reach a broader audience in every African country, directly impacting their business strategies and goals. AMA has developed, supported and launched successful pan-African communications campaigns on behalf of prestigious African and international entities like: African Development Bank, IFC, BCEAO, The Gates Foundation, Mastercard, Foundation, Western Union, and Merck.

Eloïne is a multilingual communications and business professional with a proven track record in building and managing PR businesses. An accomplished team leader, across disparate geographies and virtual teams, Eloïne commands a deep understanding of the African communications landscape with more than 15 years’ experience in the European and African communications industry.

Eloïne has been recognized as one the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) in 2018. She is a Tony Elumelu Foundation Mentor and sits on the Boards of Africa Communications Week and Africa No Filter agency. She has been nominated in 2016 and 2017 as African Woman of the Year in the media category, got awarded the Grand Prix Excellence of the ASCOM Abidjan 2019, in 2021, African Media Agency was awarded an African SABRE Certificate of Excellence in the Media Relations category. In 2022, Eloïne was named by New African Magazine one of the 100 most influential women of the year.

Eloïne is from Guinea-Bissau and Senegal. She was born in Lyon, France, she has lived and worked in France, Germany, the UK, Dubai, New York and Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) where she currently resides with her husband and two sons.

Connect with Eloïne on LinkedIn.