| #WPRD2026 | Bizcommunity salutes the PR industry
Every year, on 16 July, communications professionals around the world celebrate World PR Day (#WPRD). This year the theme was The Golden Age of Strategic PR, together with the sub-theme, The Essential Human OS in an Increasingly Automated World.
It recognises the growing importance of human insight, trusted relationships and strategic thinking in an AI-enabled communications landscape.
The contributions from PR professionals in South Africa and Africa show that AI is a valid concern - for many reasons, from government to brand communications, and that its impact on the continent needs to be noted.
For Bizcommunity, it has been a pleasure to host these insights from some of our best PR professionals throughout July. The articles show that Africa’s PR professionals are world-class.
Thank you to PR Worx for sponsoring the feature.
READ ALL #WPRD2026>> | | |  | |  | MADELAIN ROSCHER Madelain Roscher, founder and CEO of PR Worx and Public Relations Institute of SA (Prisa) member, says the future of PR is already here. Is your company ready?... |
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|  | LEBO MADIBA Strategic communicators have reached the executive table just as the public has gained greater power to set the agenda, says PR Powerhouse’s Lebo Madiba… read |
|  | ROBIN FREDERICKS Yolandi de Wet shares why relationships, trust and genuine human connection remain the foundations of effective public relations, even as AI continues to reshape the communications industry... read |
|  | ROBIN FREDERICKS Urban Espresso founder and managing director Gabbi Brondani shares why strategic PR is entering a golden age, how AI is reshaping communications, and why trust and human judgement remain essential... read |
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|  | MICHELLE CAVé Earning trust is difficult. Losing it is easy... |
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 | AOBAKWE SIBIYA Manaka Publicity's Aobakwe Sibiya says the real product of PR is courage... |
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 | ROBIN FREDERICKS Natalia Rosa, founder and CEO of Big Ambitions, explains why AI is elevating the importance of trust, reputation and human judgement... |
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 | LORATO TSHENKENG Lorato Tshenkeng, founder and CEO of Decode, reflects on the recent Social Media Summit for Government in the context of WPRD 2026... |
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 | SAM GQOMO Sam Gqomo, WGN Africa MD, says trust in corporate ESG claims remains fragile... |
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 | KEVIN WELMAN Kevin Welman, director at ByDesign Communications, says the credibility economy has arrived; external communications was built for it… |
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 | TRACY JONES Dialogue Communications founder Tracy Jones says its not enough for women in finance to only be bought into the limelight when it suits institutions... |
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 | NOKUTHULA KHWELA Nokuthula Khwela, strategic communications practitioner says media readiness is the conversation African businesses keep avoiding… |
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 | SOLLY MOENG A Golden Age of Strategic PR must also be a golden age of disclosures, says reputation strategist, Solly Moeng... |
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 | Tshegofatso Tshangela, communications and PR specialist, Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, contemplates this year's WPRD theme… |
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 | LEBOGANG MASHANGOANE Lebogang Mashangoane, account director at Riverbed PR says PR’s Golden Age will belong to those who understand people... |
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 | KARABO LEDWABA Artificial intelligence has firmly established itself as part of the public relations toolkit, but the industry's biggest challenge remains decidedly human: getting journalists to respond... |
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 | EL BROIDE This World PR Day, El Broide argues that the biggest barrier to great PR isn't creativity or budget—it's how brands treat their agency partners... |
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 | KARL HAECHLER Karl Haechler, CEO, Burson Africa, looks at how being visible in an AI-generated answer is not the same as being believed... |
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 | MIKE SHARMAN To make an idea newsworthy, it must be worthy of the news, says Retroviral's Mike Sharman... |
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 | Today the world celebrates World PR Day. This is a moment to reflect on how far public relations has come and how profoundly it shapes the future of brands, businesses, and society... |
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 | MADELAIN ROSCHER This World PR Day, South Africa's top-ranked PR agency says the AI era demands a fifth principle: Proof. |
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 | KISHA READER-BAIN Kisha Reader-Bain, co-founder & strategist at Tin Can PR and Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (Prisa) board member says the next decade will belong to the organisations that build connection infrastructure. |
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 | KARABO LEDWABA Marketing & Media editor Karabo Ledwaba argues that PR's biggest challenge isn't AI or media databases—it's forgetting the fundamentals of knowing the media... |
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 | COVENANT NSA Nigeria's Covenant Nsa talks lessons for public relations for SA from Nigeria... |
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 | MADELAIN ROSCHER Madelain Roscher, CEO of PR Worx, explores how artificial intelligence has fundamentally changed crisis and reputation management... |
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 | PAUL REYNELL Paul Reynell, Paddington Station PR founder and managing director, says it is time PR recognises a simple human truth… |
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 | BRADLY HOWLAND Bradly Howland, CEO, Alkemi Collective says corporate reputation now behaves like statecraft, but most of the PR profession is still equipped for something else... |
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 | DANETTE BREITENBACH It’s World Public Relations Day. Danette Breitenbach takes a look at why PR matters more than ever... |
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