PR Industry Urged To Embrace New Approaches As Trust Erodes In South Africa’s Public Sphere

Bradly Howland, Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (Prisa) president says as the country winds down for its December break, it’s worth pausing to assess the communications environment we have been navigating.

People are no longer simply overwhelmed by the volume of information – they are overwhelmed by not knowing which information to trust.

The result is a public sphere where cynicism can flourish and facts struggle to be heard.

For the communications and public relations (PR) industry, this is not a passing moment of turbulence. It is a turning point that demands a fundamentally new approach.

A trust deficit that cannot be ignored

South Africa has been grappling with a long-term erosion of trust in institutions, and the numbers confirm this.

Recent data confirms the depth of South Africa’s trust problem.

According to the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer business is now the country’s most-trusted institution, while trust in government has sunk to one of the lowest levels globally.

This national picture mirrors a broader continental trend: Afrobarometer’s latest pan-Africa survey (2021–2023) shows that public trust in key political institutions and leaders has weakened significantly across the region over the past decade.

In South Africa specifically, Afrobarometer data indicates that confidence in state institutions, including Parliament, elected representatives and even the judiciary, has fallen to historic lows, with trust in courts now sitting below 50%.

A beacon of reliability

Together, these indicators point to an erosion of institutional legitimacy that cannot be ignored, underscoring the urgency for a reset in how communication, governance and public engagement are approached in 2026.

Against this backdrop, communications professionals carry a responsibility far weightier than generating brand buzz or media coverage.

Our role now is fundamentally about helping people find orientation in a world of noise. When institutional trust is low, people look for any beacon of reliability.

Every business, agency, and government department must recognise that they are judged not just on what they say, but how responsibly they inform the public and how consistently they uphold accuracy and context.

What Africa’s conversations revealed this year

One encouraging development in 2025 is that across the continent, we saw a shift in how communication is understood and valued.

Practitioners and business leaders engaged in deeper conversations about standards, skills pipelines, accreditation, and the role of communication in stabilising public discourse.

These conversations made one thing clear: Africa is ready for a more professionalised, ethical, and evidence-based communications environment.

Many countries in the SADC region are pushing for clearer expectations and codes for practitioners – not to restrict the field, but to raise the bar.

Africa’s fast-growing digital population creates opportunity, but also the risk that, without clear standards, the region becomes a testing ground for misinformation.

A global agenda and South Africa’s recent example

Globally, there is growing recognition that honest, accountable communication is a pillar of sustainable development.

International bodies are working to formalise this. The World Economic Forum ranked misinformation and disinformation as the world’s top global risk in 2023.

In Africa, malicious disinformation campaigns have increased fourfold since 2022.

South Africa’s own communications approach at this year’s G20 illustrated why responsible communication matters.

Despite geopolitical pressures and clashing narratives, South Africa remained firm and consistent in its messaging.

Whether one agreed with its position or not, the discipline and coherence of its communication enhanced credibility and demonstrated how principled messaging can influence perceptions of national stability.

The pressures we cannot ignore heading into 2026

At the same time, we must be frank about the pressures within our own industry.

These include:

• Teams are carrying heavier workloads with fewer support structures than ever before.
• Junior practitioners are being thrust into high-stakes, reputationally sensitive conversations without the benefit of structured training or mentorship.
• Agencies and in-house teams are expected to operate at a fundamentally unsustainable pace, even as outdated commercial models remain unchanged.
• AI tools are accelerating content output, but they are not guaranteeing accuracy, context or judgment - the things clients ultimately depend on.
• Because expectations have evolved faster than the systems designed to support them, client relationships are becoming more strained, not less.

These are not the symptoms of a failing industry. They are clear indicators that the model we have relied on for decades is no longer fit for the complexity of the environment we now operate in.

What must change in 2026

To contribute to stability and growth, the communications sector must shift its approach:

• Stronger professional standards that protect practitioners, clients, and the public.
• Communication treated as a strategic governance function linked to risk and reputation.
• Investment in talent development, structured pathways, mentorship, and accreditation.
• A unified stance on accuracy where silence in the face of misinformation is not neutral.
• Cross-border collaboration so that African approaches are aligned and impact is shared.

A chance to rebuild trust

South Africa and Africa have a unique opportunity. We have a young population seeking credible information, a private sector focused on stability, and governments that understand communication’s role in social cohesion.

We can build a communications culture that strengthens institutions, guides public understanding, and boosts confidence.

As we end the year, we must ask: Do we want an industry that reacts to crises or one that prevents them through clarity and accountability?One that fuels noise, or one that builds trust?

The answer will determine the future of our profession and the health of our public discourse for years to come.