Africans must tell their own story

Africa must take control of its own narrative instead of allowing others to define the continent through stories of conflict, poverty and disaster, African Public Relations Association (Apra) president Arik Karani has said.

Speaking at the 2026 Effective Communicators Conference at Swakopmund on Thursday, Karani said Africa is too often portrayed negatively while its innovation, resilience, entrepreneurship, scientific achievements and rich cultures are overlooked

Apra represents 24 national public relations associations and more than 40 000 public relations practitioners across the continent.