Africa's PR industry meets in Jo'burg

FAPRA, hosted by the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA), will meet 20 - 23 May 2006 at the Sandton Sun and Towers Hotel in Johannesburg, Gauteng. The first two days will be taken up with industry committee meetings, with 22 - 23 May set aside for the historic conference.

Speakers at the conference include: South Africa's current chair-elect of the world public relations body, The Global Alliance, Sejamothopo Motau, who will speak on 'Africa's Reputation and the role of public relations' in this context on the first day. He will be backed up by Kenyan High Commissioner, T J Seii who will speak on 'Africa in the global perspective - how can we enhance the continent's reputation?'

There will also be an academic forum chaired by Prof Ronel Rensburg, University of Pretoria, to establish core curricula recognition for African qualifications in public relations and communication. Then media in Africa will come under the spotlight with a media panel representing print, radio and electronic media, to discuss the importance of the media and freedom and access to information in building Africa's reputation. Mathatha Tsedu, chairman Africa Editors Forum and editor City Press; Jean Jacques Cornish, Radio 702 Africa correspondent ; and Desiree Makote of SABC Africa, will participate.

Highlights of the second day, May 23, include a presentation by the International Marketing Council (IMC) on 'The importance of 2010 World Cup on Africa's reputation - how can the profession assist?' and Transnet group CEO, Maria Ramos on 'How Africa's reputation impedes or encourages business and what the public relations profession can contribute to encourage investment and business in Africa'.

Working towards 2010

Southern African Vice-President of FAPRA, South Africa's own Kate Bapela, past-president of PRISA, believes this is history-making time for FAPRA and the South African PR profession. "This is a very significant event for South Africa. It sends a signal in the sense that it shows that South Africa is back as a genuine partner in the public relations industry in Africa. The significance is welcome due to the fact that 2010 is around the corner and communicators are the mouthpiece of the continent."

"It enables us to sound a common clarion call for 2010 and energise the continent to prepare itself psychologically for 2010. We need to speak with one voice as Africa," emphasizes Bapela.

"With the theme, 'Managing Africa's Reputation' as the backdrop, it shows how poorly we are synergised as a continent. We are working in disharmony. The whole continent has not even got into the vibe of 2010, and we have lost our momentum in SA too. Africa is an easy target, we cannot protect our barest assets. We are poorly reputable and that is our challenge as PR professionals."

The FAPRA conference will also enable the PR industry to come together as a strategic body, representing all organizations: NGOs, Government, consultancies, private sector and parastatals on the African continent, Bapela explained.

Bapela said the PR industry must realize that in terms of democracy in Africa, South Africa was still in its infancy in obtaining freedom and the responsibilities that come with that. "We are learning from those who have gone before us and learning from those pitfalls and best practices have strengthened other democracies in our continent."

Positioning of PR in Africa

PRISA CEO Margaret Moscadi said it was very important for the public relations profession within South Africa to learn from the rest of Africa about consultative communication. "Certainly in Africa we cannot go barging in there as business people or communicators - we have to be a lot more aware and respectful of protocol."

From a PRISA perspective, Moscardi said the organization was looking at the whole positioning of PR into Africa to grow the profession in Africa in support of Mbeki's African Renaissance and connect this industry to other professionals on the continent. "Our President, Thabo Mbeki, said in his 2005 State of the Nation Address: 'our country, as a united nation, has never in its entire history enjoyed such a confluence of encouraging possibilities'. This historic conference bears testimony to our possibilities as a country and continent."

Moscadi continued: "By bringing the conference to South Africa we hope the profession will support it and learn from PR professionals in the rest of Africa. The conference will enable PR professionals to get a much broader perspective, of Africa. PR professionals in the rest of Africa are highly regarded and many cannot practice without being a member of a professional body to control professional standards."

The Federation of African Public Relations Associations (FAPRA), was formed June 10, 1975, at an International Public Relations Association (IPRA) conference held in Nairobi, Kenya. Membership of FAPRA is drawn from all the national PR associations on the continent of Africa. FAPRA is a non-governmental, non-political and non-profit making professional Association established to foster unity and interaction amongst Public Relations Practitioners in Africa as a whole. It states its primary purpose as 'to help in creating an enabling professional environment for accurate perception, goodwill and understanding of necessary and effective performance of Public Relations practice in Africa'.

For more information, the full conference programme and bookings, contact PRISA at, Tel: +27 11 326 1262, Fax: +27 11 326 1259; or email: ; website: www.prisa.co.za.