The African Public Relations Association (APRA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Node Group to train 10,000 communications professionals across Africa over the next five years through the PR Fundi Masterclass programme.
The initiative, which seeks to address the growing skills gap within Africa’s communications industry, targets 2,400 participants in its first year, translating into about 200 professionals trained every month. The programme is open to practitioners at all career levels and forms part of Node Group’s 10th anniversary celebrations under the theme, “Transforming What Is Next.”
Speaking about the partnership, Node Group Chief Executive Officer Ian Rumanyika said the programme is intended to make professional communications training more accessible across the continent.
“Building on the 2025 partnership, at Node, we are serious about raising the standard of communication practice on this continent. Cost cannot be a barrier. The decision to make the masterclass series completely free was deliberate and is rooted in a straightforward Sustainable Development Goal principle of leaving no one behind,” Rumanyika said.
Under the agreement, APRA and Node Group will provide structured virtual training opportunities for communications professionals, with monthly masterclasses bringing together industry leaders, practitioners and experts to share knowledge, emerging trends and best practices in public relations and strategic communication.
APRA will be responsible for identifying and sourcing facilitators for the sessions.
According to APRA President Arik Karani, the partnership represents the association’s most ambitious free professional development programme to date.
“For APRA, this partnership represents the largest free skilling programme the association has ever offered. A government press secretary in Lusaka, a nonprofit communications officer in Accra, a junior PR executive in Dar es Salaam, and a senior corporate affairs director in Lagos will all find topics directly relevant to their work,” Karani said.
The partnership comes at a time when Africa’s communications industry is experiencing rapid growth but continues to face challenges related to professional training and skills development.
According to the 2025 State of the African PR Industry Report published by APRA, only 34 per cent of practising communications professionals possess formal qualifications in public relations or strategic communication. Many practitioners have transitioned into the profession from fields such as journalism, marketing and political science, often acquiring their skills through practical experience.
The report also notes that Africa’s public relations industry is growing at an estimated annual rate of 9.2 per cent, making it the fastest-growing PR market globally. However, training infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with this growth.
Additionally, 61 per cent of communications professionals in Sub-Saharan Africa have not participated in any structured professional development training over the past three years, largely due to cost and logistical barriers.
A separate Global Communication Report produced in partnership with the University of Southern California Annenberg School identified Africa as the region with the widest gap between industry growth and professional skills development.
The partners believe the initiative could help strengthen professional standards across the continent by improving government communications, corporate affairs management, crisis communication and media relations.
“There is a generation of African communicators who learned on the job, developed strong instincts and practical expertise, but never had the credentials or structured frameworks to support their growth. This masterclass series is for them,” Karani said.
He added that while the programme would not solve all industry challenges overnight, it represents an important step towards closing Africa’s communications skills gap.
“For too long, the gap between the communicators we have and the communicators we need in Africa has continued to widen. We want to close that gap from within. This partnership is not an instant solution, but training 10,000 practitioners across the continent over five years is no small achievement. It is a beginning.”
