Communication alignment on agenda for African communicators

“The 2010 world cup will be an opportunity to build African solidarity and to foster a climate that contributes to making the world think differently about us; because we are going to deliver a world cup experience that will be hard to match”, says Yvonne Johnson, CEO of the International Marketing Council (IMC) of South Africa.

This is the second annual conference of the 2010 National Communication Partnership (which includes communicators in government, civil society and business).

The year's conference, themed “Africa's time has come”, will bring together communicators and marketers from Africa.

Joint effort

Chairperson of the 2010 National Communication Partnership, Nkenke Kekana, stresses that a joint effort by communicators from across the continent is necessary to take advantage of the unique communication opportunity that presents itself as a result of the first world cup in 2010.

“To make this a truly African World Cup there is a need for linkages and partnerships amongst communicators across the continent and the diaspora. This year's Partnership conference is a step in that direction,” Kekana says.

The conference will be held at Sandton Convention Centre. Confirmed speakers and their topics include:

• Rev Dr Makhenkesi Stofile, Minister of Sport and Recreation South Africa: The continent's commitment to an African legacy from the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
  
• Dr Danny Jordaan, CEO of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Local Organising Committee: South Africa is ready.
  
• Ben Egbuna, president of the African Union of Broadcasting: 2010 – the communication opportunity for the continent.
  
• Yvonne Johnston, CEO of the IMC: Positioning opportunity for the continent.