Manaka-Havas joint venture appointed PR partner for airports company

The appointment follows a competitive procurement process and places the newly formed joint venture at the centre of one of South Africa’s major infrastructure portfolios. Acsa operates nine airports, including three international gateways that serve as critical connectors between SA and international markets.

In a press release, Havas says the mandate reinforces Manaka Havas’ positioning within the infrastructure, aviation and public sector communications space across Africa.

“Manaka Publicity brings deep pan-African market intelligence, policy-aware communications strategy and experience advising institutions operating in complex regulatory environments. The firm has built its reputation on high-stakes reputation management and stakeholder alignment across Southern, East and West Africa,” the statement reads.

Supported by global scale and governance standards

It adds that the joint structure allows Manaka Havas to deliver continentally informed strategy supported by global scale and governance standards.

Comments Tlhogi Ngwato, Managing Partner at Manaka Publicity: “This is the kind of mandate we built Manaka for. Infrastructure institutions need disciplined narrative leadership, not just publicity. Our focus will be to support Acsa in reshaping perceptions with the same intentionality it applies to operations.”

With a three-year horizon, the focus will be on sustained reputation building, narrative consistency and positioning Acsa as a future-forward airport operator committed to operational excellence and national development.

Says Laurene Less, Group Executive: Corporate Affairs and Communications at Acsa: “We are confident that Manaka Havas will bring the strategic depth and integrated approach required to support our communications objectives over the next three years.”