The African Public Relations Association (APRA), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA). This was sequel to an earlier invitation by NAMPA to APRA to co-host the 2026 Effective Communicators Conference (ECC), scheduled to take place from 14th – 17th July 2026 at The Dome, in Namibia’s adventure capital and coastal resort city of Swakopmund.
Focusing on “Communication Reconsidered: A Driving Force for Constant Progress”, the ECC is co-organised by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) of Namibia under the leadership of Minister Emma Theofelus. The minister had earlier in Windhoek, performed public unveiling of the events leading to the conference after the signing of the MoU between NAMPA and APRA.
The ECC rallies Africa’s liveliest and informed minds, as well as global partners in public relations, marketing, government communications, journalism and digital media, to rethink how the region tells her stories to shape the future and the prosperity of the continent. This aligns with APRA’s vision to shape the upturns and uptakes of the central role of communication as a premium driver of development, while encouraging the gathering of public relations and communication management scholars, professionals and policy makers for meaning making, knowledge production and immersion in requisite skills. The forum also provides an opportunity for stakeholders to share rational and empirical thoughts necessary to navigate the challenges of contemporary communication.
Arik Karani, the APRA president, who was represented at the signing of the MoU by Omoniyi Ibietan, the secretary general of APRA, appreciated African governments, institutions and stakeholders’ increasing commitment to placing communication at the heart of governance. Karani stated that the commitment to collaboration by APRA and MICT through NAMPA, constitutes a milestone in the collective vision for good standards, education and re-establishing communication as the foundational pillar and driving force for progress. “We are committed to telling the African story with shared intentions, cooperative, evidence-based, safe, ethical and responsible communication, to enhance understanding, trust, stability and prosperity of the continent”, Karani stated.
Built around six high-level strategic forums, ECC 2026 will bring together leaders, practitioners, and decision-makers in purpose-designed spaces to shape the future of communication. While discussions will draw significantly from Southern African perspectives and priorities, the outcomes and insights are expected to resonate across the continent. A key foreground of ECC 2026 is the Heads of States and Diplomatic Forum – a high-level gathering of presidents, vice presidents, ministers, and diplomatic representatives to align with regional communication priorities and Africa’s narrative on the world stage.
Other discourses include: Captains of Industry Forum, planned to explore the role of businesses in shaping regional progress; Editors and Journalists Forum – an exclusive forum for editors, senior journalists and communication practitioners where press freedom, information integrity, and the future of African journalism will be discussed; Government Communicators Forum – practitioners-led space for government information officers, ministry spokespersons, and public sector communicators to share frameworks and align messaging; Strategic Communications and Public Relations Forum to feature public relations consultants, agency leaders and in-house communication strategists with a focus on covering crisis communications, reputation management, and integrated campaigns; and Digital Storytelling Forum, where participants will discuss emerging digital tools, social technology platforms, AI in content creation, and the rise of creator-led storytelling across the African continent.
The foregoing places the Namibian conference as a rare assemblage of Africa’s key actors in communication governance and the increasing role communication is positioned to play in the Continent’s march towards a new frontier of growth, development and prosperity. Over 1000 people are expected at the forum, where APRA will host its 2026 annual general meeting, ahead of its 37th annual conference, scheduled to take place in Abuja in November 2026 during the World Public Relations Forum.
