Shaping Africa's Narrative

Certain images flood people’s minds (and TV screens, newspapers and social media feeds), when the topic is Africa’s development. Frequently, media tend to focus on stereotypical images that perpetuate notions of poverty, instability and underdevelopment, overshadowing the cultural wealth, economic potential and entrepreneurial spirit that shape many African countries. Not only do clichés distort the international perception of Africa, but they also influence large investment decisions. 

Recognizing the importance of a more accurate depiction, Annie Mutamba and Eniola Harrison, two African communications professionals, saw an opportunity to reshape the biased narrative by creating awareness and promoting a more diverse, realistic, nuanced and data-driven representation of Africa. The OPEC Fund Quarterly met the two movers at the OECD Development Communication Network’s annual meeting in Madrid in late October. 

OPEC Fund Quarterly: Let’s start with the beginning. Can you share the background of Africa Communications Week and how it all began? 

Eniola Harrison: In 2017, Annie and I, two communications professionals from Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, met in Brussels. Frustrated by the negative narratives about our countries and Africa, we asked ourselves: “What do we as communications experts do to drive a more positive perception?” We were aware that both our wonderful countries were in a way trapped in negative reputations and we knew this was the case for many African countries. 

Annie Mutamba: Exactly. The turning point was the impact of the Ebola crisis, prompting us to think about the role of communications in Africa’s development. We decided to launch Africa Communications Week, inviting communications professionals from around the world to join a campaign to foster collaboration and ensure that we as communicators take the lead in shaping the narrative on Africa. 

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 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. 

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 collaborations, communicators are driving positive change and attracting investment to Africa. 

Eniola Harrison 

Eniola Harrison is a communications consultant, passionate about Africa’s transformation through strategic communications. She is the founder of Bamboo Communications, a strategic communications consultancy and cofounder of Africa Communications Week. After completing a Master in Corporate Communication from IE Business School, she joined IE's International Development as Director of IE Nigeria. Eniola is the Director of IE University's Africa Center. 

Annie Mutamba 

Annie Mutamba is a strategic communications consultant and co-founder of Africa Communications Week. Prior she was CEO of Meridia Partners, the first public affairs firm specializing in EU-Africa relations. She started her career in Washington, D.C. at the Africa Policy Information Center before managing communication and advocacy at the European Chemical Industry Council. Since 2010 she is also a lecturer at the Institute of Advanced Studies in Social Communications (IHECS) in Brussels. 

Africa Communications Week 

Africa Communications Week was launched in 2017 and has been organized for the sixth time in 2023 as a weeklong series of events in 20 countries across Africa. Africa Communications Week is held annually during Africa Month, and is a global campaign open to all communications professionals with interests in Africa. The discussions look at impacting the current narratives on Africa; accelerating communications through innovation and effective media platforms. Events examine how the communications profession can position itself and demonstrate its relevance in contributing to Africa’s socio-economic development. 

The link between perception and investment 

“The Business in Africa Narrative Report”, published by the non-profit organization Africa No Filter, provides a comprehensive analysis of the portrayal of business in Africa and its impact on investment perceptions. The report, which came out in 2022, analyzes over 750 million stories published between 2017 and 2021, sourced from more than 6,000 African news sites and 183,000 global sites. Seven key frames in stories about business in Africa emerged, shedding light on the prevailing biases and gaps. Here are some of the key findings: 

1. More negative coverage: International media tends to negatively frame issues impacting business in Africa, with African media twice as likely to reference corruption.
2. Foreign powers scramble for Africa: 70 percent of international coverage revolves around references to foreign powers like China, the USA, Russia, France and the UK. 
3. Africa is two countries: Media coverage disproportionately focuses on South Africa and Nigeria, neglecting smaller successful states such as Mauritius, Botswana, Seychelles and Namibia.
4. Silencing creativity, amplifying technology: Despite the global influence of creative industries and music, creative businesses receive only 1 percent of media coverage. 
5. Youth and women underrepresented: Despite Africa having the highest concentration of women business owners and the youngest population globally, youth and women are underrepresented in media coverage. 
6. Government dominance: Approximately 54.5 percent of business news is framed through government action and policies, with African media emphasizing government themes over entrepreneurship. 
7. Missing free trade area and investment: Despite its potential to alleviate poverty and significantly boost Africa’s income, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as the largest free trade area globally, receives less than 1 percent of coverage in both global and African media when it comes to business news and analysis. 

Global Communicators Working Together to Raise Awareness 

ACW has been partnering with the OECD Development Communication Network (DevCom) to increase awareness about Africa among global communications professionals. OECD DevCom is a global network of communications professionals and advocates for sustainable development and international co-operation. It promotes peer learning and provides practitioners with the latest advice from experts in policy and politics, campaigning and advocacy, digital media, journalism and marketing, public attitudes research and behavioral science. In 2022 and 2023, ACW and OECD DevCom co-hosted workshops for broader audiences on “Africa’s Agency on the Global Climate Stage: What Role for Strategic Communication?” and “Boosting Investment in Africa: How Communicators Can Help?” The OPEC Fund is a member of OECD DevCom.