Tshifure to head Southern African PR body as its new President

The Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (Prisa) has announced that Oscar Rofhiwa Tshifure has been nominated as its new President. The nomination was made at its 67^th National Annual General Meeting on 5 July. 

Prisa was established in 1957 to promote industry excellence as the professional body for public relations and communication practitioners in Southern Africa.

According to the institute, Tshifure brings over 20 years of extensive experience in communications, public affairs, reputation management and stakeholder management to the role. His vision is a transformative, collaborative future for the institute.

Collaboration and a culture of partnership

“Collaboration is vital for the success of the institute,” Tshifure said in his acceptance speech. “Our focus remains to enhance our reputation and relationships with public relations professionals, as well as agencies and government institutions, in order to foster a culture of partnership and the highest standards of ethical conduct for the public relations and communications fraternity.”

“We are looking at opportunities to expand our reach by working with international organisations such as the Quebec Society of Public Relations Professionals to stay ahead of industry trends and innovations. Locally, we want to continue to strengthen our engagement with The Ethics Institute to ensure that we bring additional benefits to our members.”

Tshifure highlighted that it is crucial for Prisa to adapt and meet upcoming challenges and opportunities, as the role of PR and communications practitioners will become even more important in publicising policies and promoting the region as an investment hub and tourist destination.

According to Prisa, Tshifure has worked as head of public affairs at Razor PR, part of the M&C Saatchi Group, among others. He has successfully led strategy execution, effectively managed crises, and collaborated with different stakeholders and businesses across SADC, East African and West African countries.

He is currently pursuing an executive MBA at Henley Business School, with a focus on reputation management and strategic leadership. He holds a BTech qualification in public relations management from the Tshwane University of Technology.