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Ambition needs access: the barriers holding back Africa’s young communicators
New CIPR-sponsored research reveals a global PR industry unintentionally shutting out Africa’s youngest talent through structural barriers.
When I started my communications career over 15 years ago, I was clueless. I didn't even know the profession existed. A one-off conversation opened the door to an internship at a media agency and pretty much kicked off my communications career.
From day one, I was thrown into the deep end. Thankfully, I did not drown. I stayed afloat because I had peers who guided me, even when I didn’t know what guidance I needed.
As I progressed in my career, I realised that ambition alone wouldn’t sustain my growth. I needed training and access to opportunities. Things changed when I secured a scholarship to study for a master’s degree in corporate and marketing, and I gained a new level of confidence. For the first time in my career, I felt like I knew what I was doing.
That experience changed my career, but it also made something painfully clear: access is not evenly distributed. Many young professionals in emerging markets don’t always get the chance to experience world‑class training due to largely invisible barriers.
Through my work with young communicators across Africa through The Comms Avenue, I saw talented, ambitious professionals eager to grow their careers but locked out of opportunities that could help them do so.
That experience inspired me to embark on the Impact Beyond Borders: Expanding Global Access for Young African Communicators study, supported by the CIPR Research Fund. I wanted to understand the structural barriers that limit access to global training and certification for young African professionals, and what the global PR profession must do to address them.
The barriers to opportunity
Africa holds the world's youngest population; 70% of sub-Saharan Africa is under the age of 30. This demographic represents the future of the global PR workforce. Yet early-career communications professionals across the continent face barriers to training and professional development.
The research identified three main challenges.
- Affordability was the biggest obstacle, cited by 62% of respondents. As one interviewee put it, “Most globally recognised certifications are priced far beyond what young African professionals can afford.” If young professionals cannot access training and certification opportunities, the result is a global PR industry in which opportunities remain concentrated among those who can afford them.
- Awareness and visibility were other barriers. Many young African professionals simply do not know what global PR associations offer, including the available pathways, benefits, or even where to begin. They, therefore, remain locked out, not because they lack ambition, but because they do not know where to find the opportunities or how to access them.
- Contextual relevance was the third issue. Even when training is available, it often lacks relevance. One interviewee said: “There is a contextual gap with global training and certifications”. Adding that “they don’t really reflect the realities of the African market.” This lack of contextual relevance makes global certifications feel theoretical rather than practical, and professionals often find it difficult to apply that knowledge in practice.
These barriers matter beyond individual careers. If young professionals are unable to access training, networks and recognition, the global PR industry risks weakening its future talent pipeline.
The blueprint for change and greater access
Young African communicators need access to global knowledge, global networks, and global recognition without financial, geographic, or institutional limitations. “How will we make communications a proper profession if we leave behind those who are supposed to be the future leaders?” an interviewee asked.
To enable this future, the Impact Beyond Borders research proposes the ARC model, which is a practical, interconnected framework for building equitable access. It covers:
- Accessibility: To facilitate an increase in participation.
- Relevance: To secure buy-in and engagement of young African professionals.
- Collaboration: To create opportunities for co-creation between global and national PR associations.
What should the PR profession do?
If the global PR profession is serious about remaining relevant and resilient, these barriers need to be addressed. This can be achieved by:
- Creating affordable pricing structures for professionals in low-income economies.
- Developing Africa-specific case studies and best practice frameworks that reflect regional realities.
- Making free resources and learning pathways easier to find.
- Establishing formal collaboration between global and national associations to increase youth participation.
The future of the global PR profession depends on creating inclusive pathways for talent, training, and collaboration using the ARC model. Ambition is not lacking among young African communicators. What is often missing is access to training, mentorship and professional networks.
My hope is that the profession will rise to this challenge and build a future in which access to knowledge, development and professional recognition is not determined by where someone lives or what they can afford.
Chartered PR practitioner Adedoyin Jaiyesimi is a strategic communications adviser who counsels senior leaders and boards across Africa and emerging markets. She is the Co-Founder of The Comms Avenue, a pan‑African social enterprise that is focused on strengthening Africa's communications talent pipeline. Adedoyin remains committed to supporting the professional development of young professionals in the African communications and PR industry and developing knowledge content to close skill gaps within the industry through her platforms.
Further reading
What 120 applications taught me as an international graduate in PR