African PR industry has growing intolerance toward unethical conduct

Notably, the 2024 responses revealed an increase in reported cases of unethical behaviour compared to 2023. 

According to Chanell Kemp, lead researcher on the project, this trend signals a growing intolerance toward unethical conduct, with individuals increasingly willing to speak out.  

In the long term, ethical businesses will contribute to an ethical economy, country and continent, she believes. 

“The results underscore a growing emphasis on ethics within the PR profession and the important role that PR professionals play in communicating ethics,” says Kemp. 

This year’s research marks a significant milestone with the highest number of responses to date, totalling 365 participants from various African countries. The leading responders were South Africa, Zambia, Nigeria and Ghana. 

The ‘State of Ethics and the Public Relations Industry in Africa 2024’ survey encompassed professionals from diverse industries, with media and marketing comprising the largest segment (35%), followed by ‘other’ industries (18%) – including communication, law, events, and the energy sector. 

The critical role of ethical conduct 

Its findings underscore the critical role of ethical conduct at both individual and organisational levels, with integrity and values emerging as primary drivers of ethical behaviour, the research team says. 

Other key findings: 

• Smaller teams of 2-5 individuals dedicated to PR are prevalent (32%), and a significant proportion (14%) of larger organisations have between 11-25 people employed for PR roles. 

• Despite progress, most respondents (45%) feel that “the role of PR and Communications is not appreciated at board level”, highlighting the need for continued efforts to elevate PR’s influence in organisational decision-making. 

• Respondents express varied levels of concern regarding the potential risks or limitations of heavily relying on Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in PR and communications, emphasising the need for proactive management of AI-related challenges. 

• Amidst challenges such as corruption and governance issues, respondents advocate for proactive engagement, ethical leadership, and strategic communication to navigate the complexities of reputation management in Africa. 

“Every person, entity and country has a reputation that is built through consistent behaviour, which is driven by values,” states Regine le Roux, MD of Reputation Matters, the company that conducts the research. 

Unlike reputation, ethics are binary; one is either ethical or not. You can’t be ‘a little bit’ ethical; there’s no middle ground. However, questionable ethics invariably tarnish one’s reputation. Which in turn impacts whether people want to be associated with, and conduct business, with you.” 

To mark the launch of the research findings, PRCA Africa and APRA invite industry professionals to join a live panel discussion hosted by the Ethics and Practices Network. This takes place on 24 May at 13:00 (SAST). Register here.