It’s easy to get swept up in the headlines about polarization, mistrust, and conflicts tearing societies apart. But spend an afternoon listening to Afrobeats, scroll through TikTok clips from Lagos, Nigeria, or watch a Nollywood blockbuster on Netflix, and you’ll see something different.

You’ll see connection. You’ll see laughter. You’ll see creativity refusing to be caged by borders or politics.

I believe Africa’s young people are quietly (and sometimes loudly) healing global rifts through the sheer power of culture. It’s not just entertainment, it’s soft power in action.

Music is one of our strongest bridges. Afrobeats, born in Nigeria, is no longer just “our thing.” It’s the world’s soundtrack. You hear it in clubs in New York, rooftop bars in London, even at parties in Seoul.

Artists like Burna Boy, Wizkid, Tems, Rema, they’re not simply making hits; they’re reshaping how the world perceives Africa. They’re turning a continent that was once a monolithic headline into a mosaic of sound, style, and innovation.

Then there’s Nollywood. It’s not just about telling African stories, it’s about telling human stories through an African lens.

There’s a familiarity in the humour, the family dynamics, the hustle. It’s how we remind the world that while our cultures are unique, our humanity is shared. That’s a subtle, powerful antidote to polarization.

Fashion, too, has become a language of unity. African designers are merging traditional textiles with contemporary designs, strutting runways from Paris to Johannesburg.

A single Ankara jacket can speak volumes, about identity, heritage, and modern style. It’s a statement that says: I’m proud of where I come from, and I belong anywhere.

And then there’s sports. Football, especially, doesn’t know tribe or religion. When the Super Eagles score, Nigerians celebrate as one. Across Africa, young people pour their passion into sports, creating moments that unite not only countries but an entire continent.

But this cultural bridge isn’t one-way. Africa is showing up in places you’d least expect.

During my recent trip to China—a trip that started as a planned group tour but somehow turned into a solo adventure, I found myself walking into restaurants built specifically for Africans.

Places where menus catered to African tastes, staff spoke a few words of Igbo or Yoruba, and familiar music played softly in the background.

It was surreal and comforting at the same time. Thousands of miles from home, there was a piece of Africa waiting for me.

It made me realize that we’re not just exporting culture; we’re planting roots. Africans are becoming part of the social and economic fabric of communities around the world. We’re represented in business, cuisine, fashion, music, and so much more. We’re shaping how the world eats, dances, shops, and thinks.

As a PR professional and cultural catalyst, I see youth culture as more than a trend. It’s a tool. It’s a way for brands, governments, and communities to communicate hope instead of fear, connection instead of division.

African youth are leveraging social media to tell their stories, share their art, and build communities that transcend the usual fault lines.

Local influencers, some with just a smartphone and a dream, are bridging global divides. They’re speaking the language of Gen Z and Millennials everywhere: authenticity.

When they dance to a new Afrobeats hit, showcase Nigerian street food, or wear Ghanaian Kente with pride, they’re not just influencing trends; they’re stitching a global tapestry where Africa is at the center, not the periphery.

The role of youth-led narratives in healing polarization cannot be overstated. Because here’s the thing: polarization feeds on ignorance and unfamiliarity. But culture introduces people to each other. It humanizes “the other.” It makes a distant place feel like home.

So on this World PR Day, under the theme of building bridges and navigating polarization, I’m choosing to celebrate Africa’s young creators, artists, and dreamers.

They remind me, and all of us, that even in a world pulling apart at the seams, there’s still music, fashion, film, and sports to tie us back together.

The bridge is already being built. And it’s alive with the beat of Afrobeats, the colours of Ankara, the drama of Nollywood, the roar of football fans, and yes, even a little corner of an African restaurant in the middle of China.

Here’s to the hope that Africa’s youth will keep reminding the world: there’s far more that connects us than divides us.

This advice came in a message sent to members of the continental body by its president, Mr. Arik Karani.

The message which came in commemoration of the 2024 World Public Relations Day (World PR Day) and resonates with the theme of this year’s celebration,

“The Future of Public Relations in a Changing World”, noted that the unfolding reality of contemporary world signaled ‘unprecedented change and opportunity’.

The president stated that communication, analyses and strategies in PR such as “sentiment analysis, predictive analytics, automated content creation” are spheres where AI enhances the human agency and capabilities of the public relations practitioners and bolsters capacity for improvement in crisis communication, brand and stakeholder relationship management and otherwise complex issues.

In sounding a note of caution in AI utilisation, Mr. Karani, in a statement signed by Dr. Omoniyi Ibietan, the secretary general, APRA, urged PR practitioners in Africa to ensure that “the principles of transparency, accountability and inclusivity should guide our use of AI in public relations”, because PR practitioners have a duty to promote truth, bridge gaps and cultivate trust.

He reminded all members of APRA that those precepts are in congruence with the vision of APRA and promised the organisation’s dedication to advancing PR practice to foster promotional development, promote ethical standards to enhance the contribution of APRA to society through sustainable development of all sectors to drive social impact.

Karani, who is also the President of the Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK), appealed to APRA  members to be open-minded to explore the endless opportunities of AI as a force for good in public  relations so the profession can continue to play its central role in building understanding, enable dialogue and “creating a more connected and compassionate world”.

Today, public relations is no longer the domain of a select few with formal training. Instead, it has become an open arena where individuals build personal brands and establish authority in various fields. This transformation underscores the importance of ethical practices in the digital era.

Social media’s impact on public relations is profound. Platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn have allowed anyone with an internet connection to share content and voice opinions, effectively creating citizen journalists.

This shift has broadened the definition of journalism and birthed powerful influencers and niche communities within the social media landscape.

The traditional levels of communication, once governed by editorial oversight and professional standards, have been flattened. This direct connection between individuals and their audiences, while empowering, has also led to the unchecked spread of information.

As the internet remains a free and open space, the responsibility of ethical communication falls heavily on those who wield influence.

The Ethical Dilemma in Personal Branding

Building a personal brand online presents a significant ethical dilemma. On one hand, there’s the allure of popularity—garnering clicks, likes, and headlines by any means necessary. On the other, there is the imperative to maintain integrity, authenticity, and responsibility.

This dichotomy often places everyday people in a challenging position, torn between ethical practices and the temptation to sensationalize.

Social media’s rise has indeed given a platform to those without traditional journalism backgrounds. However, this democratization also means that many dive into topics beyond their expertise, spreading misinformation and sometimes, unintentionally, contributing to the noise rather than clarity.

The Responsibility of Influence

As ordinary citizens find their voices amplified, the potential impact of their statements grows. This influence can shape opinions, incite actions, and even affect public policy. Hence, the ethical use of these platforms becomes crucial, especially when addressing sensitive or polarizing issues. It’s essential for individuals to recognize the power they hold and wield it responsibly.

Promoting Ethical Practices in the Digital Era 

• Fact-Checking and Verification: Before sharing information, it’s vital to verify its accuracy. This prevents the spread of false information and upholds the integrity of one’s personal brand.
• Transparency and Accountability: Be transparent about sources and motivations. If a mistake is made, acknowledge it and correct it promptly.
• Respecting Privacy: Ethical PR involves respecting the privacy and dignity of others. Avoid sharing unverified personal information or engaging in harmful gossip.
• Constructive Engagement: Foster a culture of constructive dialogue rather than inflammatory rhetoric. Encourage respectful discussions and be open to differing viewpoints.
• Educational Responsibility: Use your platform to educate and inform. Share knowledge within your expertise and direct followers to credible sources for topics beyond your scope.

As we celebrate World PR Day 2024, it’s imperative to recognize the evolving role of citizens in public relations.

The power to influence has never been more accessible, but with this power comes the responsibility to act ethically.

By committing to ethical practices, individuals can build personal brands that are not only influential but also respected and trusted.

In a world where information flows freely, let’s be the gatekeepers of truth and integrity, shaping a digital landscape that values ethical PR practices for the greater good.

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Tofunmi Akinseye, CEO and Publisher of Savvy Media Africa, is a highly accomplished professional in the media and communications field.

Newmark Group Limited has a footprint in over 30 countries in Africa, offering a multicultural and authentically localized approach to messaging, outreach and engagement.

Newmark’s wide team of strategy, creative, editorial and content experts enable us to support leading local and global brands to understand their competitive landscape, enhance their visibility and earn a strategic reputation that supports their business objectives.

In this chat with TechEconomy, Gilbert Manirakiza, the Founder and CEO, spoke about the World PR Day 2023, need for more African brands to engage experts in their strategy communications, to brighten their global image.

TE: How would you assess African brands from the Public Relations perspective?

Gilbert Manirakiza (GM): The simple truth I give to companies is: If you don’t tell your story, someone else will. If you are not visible, someone will feel that void. If you don’t have a voice, someone else will adopt a voice for you. And we see this happening across our countries, or in our economies. We have huge companies that are doing great things, but they are not seeing the role they have in the community to inspire and to have a voice. And because of that the rumor mill becomes very busy about that company. You’ll hear speculations about what the founders are doing, what the company’s doing, and this company falls into the hands of this speculation. And one of the things we’re trying to do; educate customers and organizations that you need to be clear about: First, what your identity is, and if you are not clear about that, someone else will give you an identity. That’s just a reality. Because the human mind is not designed to interact with brands that are faceless.

Our brains are naturally biologically and scientifically wired to deal with identities that have a face. So even if a company is not saying something we as human beings will attach something to that brand. So, the company needs to build a brand and a voice; that’s why we start from there. Big or small, it can be done at all levels. You don’t have to be a big multinational or a big company making millions. You must start from designing, an identity and having a voice about specific aspects of society that maybe you interact with as a company.

We help them to define that through research. By the time we are done, they have a clear path towards building a powerful presence in the market. You see, one of the things that people don’t realize about the longevity and scale up of a company is that it’s not just enough to have very good business fundamentals.

There were many social media companies before Facebook. There were many computer companies before Apple and Microsoft. But how do these companies become the giants that we know today and they will be here for many years to come. It is because they got into people’s minds. Right now, when you’re thinking of buying a software, the options are not so many. Although they’re hundreds of computer brands, probably the top that will come to your mind are Apple, IBM, Lenovo, HP and so forth. Why? Because in your mind, they are credible and trustworthy and that’s really what we’re talking about.

African companies will not become giants in this world without embracing strategic communications and PR. We hope they will see more reasons to embrace this great tool.

TE: Technology has been with us and it’s an enabler, but with the recent events with the ChatGPT and other AI incursions, how do you see things play out in the PR industry?

GM: Interestingly, technology’s role and PR’s role are pretty similar. The role of PR is to facilitate the relationship between a stakeholder and another stakeholder. So, it’s to facilitate exchange of information and education. Guess what? Technology is also vastly the same way; technology exists to help facilitate and fast-track interactions between different stakeholders.

It’s about exchanging data and information making us much more efficient at processing data. Therefore, there is a natural resemblance in a natural relationship between these ‘new’ technologies and what PR is supposed to do. The moment a PR practitioner understands what they exist to do, technology becomes a natural partner, it should become a natural extension of what a PR professional does. So, instead of PR professionals being apprehensive or afraid of the new tools, they should actually be asking themselves: How can these tools make me much more intuitive so that I can focus on the things that humans are best at doing. You’ll notice for example, that practitioners will have to become much more strategic.

The thing is, if you want to become lazy and be paid for the traditional things PR is associated with, which is, maybe just sending out a press release here and there, you’ll find that you can be easily replaced by technology.

However, if you’re willing to do the hard work like strategic thinking skills and developing analytical skills that organizations are always going to need. And by this, I mean, human to human relationships, cannot be simulated by ChatGPT, you need a human to understand the complexity of human relationships. If you’re a professional today, you have to develop a very deep understanding of how humans build relationships among each other and they are different types of relationships. That’s why you’ll see us at the Newmark Group doing a lot of writing.

We believe that this is the best time for us to be very analytical, to bring advice to our clients and to use these technologies to be faster at doing the basic things. But now we have more time to produce insights and content that otherwise, perhaps before we just didn’t have enough time to do. So, now our clients are very excited because you’re getting a lot more quality content and insight from us. For me, that’s a great opportunity…

TE: As a follow up to that question, what is the future of PR like?

GM: Yeah, that’s a good question. There are various levels at which you can analyze the future of this industry. The first level is that with the tools we are exposed to, PR is going to become a much more digital practice, in the sense that the tools are going to be much more ubiquitous, more integrated in the work that practitioners do. I think that there are some tasks that practitioners have been doing that will be less human driven and more technology driven and that’s a good thing.

Secondly, I see the profession going towards a more strategic decision-making tool rather than a tactical element because many of these tools are going to be better writers than humans. They’re going to be better at doing certain things than humans.

However, this will give us more room to provide much higher quality insights to our clients. So, we will see this profession becoming much more strategic, much closer to top decision makers.

Thirdly, I firmly believe that PR is going to start becoming a great tool for solving world problems. Some of the biggest problems we have in the world; look at what’s happening currently with Ukraine, look at what’s happening in our respective African countries – political fragmentations, ethnic tensions, economic wars – when you look at all these things, at the core of it, if you don’t have collaboration between various parts of the society, in the economy. We will simply not overcome these challenges, they’re way too big, they require collaborations at a level that perhaps humanity has never faced. So, the profession has to start being extremely relevant in presenting solutions to these issues.

As professionals need to become less as intermediaries, which we have done so far. But start raising our voice at the leadership table because a lot of the problems that the world is experiencing right now, to be honest, could be easily solved by more collaboration, more trust and understanding. If this had been the practice Covid-19 would have been much more effectively dealt with. We all know this. The climate transition challenge would be solved much faster. If we have this, a lot of the challenges we have in the political sectors, in our countries, education, healthcare, can actually be dealt with much more efficiently.

So, my prediction for the future is that those of us who take up this challenge of being at the decision-making table will probably experience much more growth as professionals. And those of us who are not willing to challenge ourselves in that sense, will probably struggle to grow, and that’s just a reality. So, I encourage all the practitioners to just pick up this challenge, raise their game; be more proactive, raise their voices and be counted as solution providers.

TechEconomy: What is your message to the PR community on the occasion of World PR Day 2023?

GM: First to practitioners. We have a very critical role to play in the world that is lost. That requires collaboration, trust and understanding. This is our time. Let us not take a back seat. If someone doesn’t bring us to the decision-making table, let’s storm it. Let’s take a stone, break the window, come in and sit because if we don’t do this, we will judge ourselves.

All the future will judge us, because clearly, there is an ingredient that is missing and we are the key. We just need to believe we are and then go ahead do it. And we have the goodwill for our partners in the media, we have the goodwill of organizations and companies. So, I think we should leverage that. Plus, we also have the skill sets.

Secondly, to organizations, particularly African brands: It is about time that we understood something, the world has mastered a long time ago. When you work with global firms they don’t joke with PR, and we have the privilege to work with very many global brands. They do not joke with strategic communications. They understand that this is what helps build lasting and sustainable businesses. So, we encourage African brands and companies to reach out to professionals who can get them to scale up their identities and to build the right relationships.

Thirdly, the Government. When you see all these tools in ecosystems built by developed nations, to do what we call strategic communications and PR, that’s when you actually understand that, this is no laughing matter. So, governments need to wake up to this reality and start partnering with us. We are here, we are ready to help them and generally speaking, all the stakeholders in society. I encourage all of them to continue supporting the PR profession and we will also continue doing our part, which is developing our skills, growing, adapting to challenges and we will always be ready to help the world tackle all the big challenges that it is facing.

TE: Thank you Mr. Gilbert Manirakiza for sharing your thoughts with us. This is the beginning of the conversation and we shall reach out to you at different occasions. Happy World PR Day to the team at Newmark Group Limited.

GM: Thank you, Peter. And thanks to the TechEconomy team for projecting the African narratives in the technology, business and economy spaces.