Every day, South Africans wake up to breaking news alerts, crisis statements, awareness campaigns, corporate announcements and stories that shape public conversation. Yet behind many of those messages are communications professionals whose work is rarely seen, even though it often determines how information reaches the public.
Public relations has long been associated with media coverage and brand management. But for the practitioners working in the profession, the job is far more personal. It is about earning trust before asking for attention, listening before speaking, and helping organisations and communities communicate with honesty during both triumph and crisis.
As the world marks World PR Day under the theme “The Golden Age of Strategic PR,” five Gauteng communications professionals reflected on the careers that shaped them, the lessons they have learned and why, despite the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), they believe empathy, integrity and human connection remain the profession’s greatest assets.
For Abulele Ndamase, everything started with a simple opportunity to write. Contributing to a college newsletter introduced her to the power of storytelling and showed her that communication could shape perceptions and inspire action.
