The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The African Public Relations Association (APRA) has signed a communications skilling memorandum of understanding with Node Group aimed at training 10,000 communication professionals across Africa over the next five years, in what the association describes as its largest free professional development initiative to date.
The partnership, announced on April 19, seeks to address a growing skills gap in Africa’s rapidly expanding public relations and communications sector through the PR Fundi Masterclass programme.
According to the 2025 State of the African PR Industry Report published by APRA, only 34% of practising communication professionals on the continent hold a formal qualification directly related to public relations or strategic communication. Most practitioners have transitioned from journalism, marketing, political science, and related fields, often acquiring communication skills through experience rather than formal training.
The report comes at a time when Africa’s public relations industry is experiencing significant growth. APRA estimates that the African PR market is expanding at an annual rate of 9.2%, making it the fastest-growing PR market globally. However, industry leaders say training opportunities have not kept pace with this growth.
Under the partnership, APRA and Node Group aim to train 2,400 communication professionals in the first year alone, equivalent to 200 participants every month. The programme will be delivered virtually and target professionals at all stages of their careers across the continent.
The initiative aligns with Node Group’s 10th anniversary theme, “Transforming What Is Next.”
“Building on the 2025 partnership, at Node, we are serious about raising the standard of communication practice on this continent; cost cannot be a barrier. The decision to make the masterclass series completely free was deliberate and is rooted in a straightforward SDG of not leaving anyone behind,” said Ian Rumanyika, CEO of Node Group.
The agreement establishes a framework through which APRA and Node Group will organise monthly masterclasses featuring industry experts, practitioners and communication leaders discussing emerging trends, best practices and professional standards in public relations. APRA will be responsible for identifying and sourcing facilitators for the sessions.
“For APRA, the partnership represents the largest free skilling programme the association has ever offered. A government press secretary in Lusaka, a nonprofit communications officer in Accra, a junior PR executive in Dar es Salaam and a senior corporate affairs director in Lagos will all find topics that are directly relevant to their work,” said the APRA President.
The need for professional development remains significant. The APRA report found that 61% of communication professionals in sub-Saharan Africa have not attended any structured professional development training over the past three years, largely due to cost and logistical barriers rather than lack of interest.
The challenge is reflected in broader global assessments. A survey by the Global Communication Report, conducted in partnership with the University of Southern California Annenberg School, identified Africa as the region with the largest gap between industry growth and professional skills development.
Industry leaders argue that improving communication capacity could have wider implications beyond the profession itself.
“When you train 10,000 communicators, something structural starts to shift. Standards rise in government communications offices. Corporate affairs teams begin measuring their work differently. Crisis responses become more coherent. Media relations become more strategic. The quality of public discourse improves because the people shaping that discourse are better equipped to do so thoughtfully,” the APRA President said.
The association says the programme is intended to support both experienced practitioners and professionals who entered the field through non-traditional pathways.
“There is a generation of African communicators who learned on the job, built real instincts and genuine skill, but never had the credentials or the structured framework to back it up. This master class series is for them,” said the APRA President.
“For too long, the gap between the communicators we have and those we need in Africa has been widening every. We want to close that gap from the inside. This partnership is not instant coffee, but 10,000 trained practitioners across the continent in 5 years is not a small thing. It is a beginning,” the APRA President added.
