A new report from Bloomwit, an African PR and communications agency, has revealed that fewer than 15% of African SMEs invest in PR strategy, despite evidence showing that well-executed campaigns can deliver 3–6X return on investment within 12 months.
Visibility as Growth Infrastructure
SMEs drive over 90% of businesses and up to 80% of jobs in Africa, yet most operate without structured communication plans. Only 1.8% maintain foundational digital assets such as professional websites, critical for effective investor visibility and market credibility. Founder-led visibility dominates, with LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) serving as primary platforms due to low cost and broad reach.
Traditional media remain influential, with radio cited by 65% of SMEs as a key credibility driver. Digital news penetration exceeds 70% in several markets, highlighting the growing importance of multi-channel PR campaigns.
AI and Performance Metrics Transform PR
Adoption of AI in communications jumped from 26% in 2024 to 46% in 2025, reflecting a shift toward performance-driven, data-informed PR. Over 60% of budgets now link to measurable leads, and 76% of organizations track PR-driven conversions using analytics tools.
Looking Ahead
Bloomwit predicts inter-country digital coverage will become a major growth lever in 2026. Key trends include performance-based PR contracts for 60% of new deals, adoption of fractional agency models by 45% of high-growth startups, and a focus on multi-lingual storytelling in Yoruba, Igbo, and Swahili to reach local-language consumers.
Bloomwit’s Head of Operations, Gloria Oti, emphasized: “In markets with 44 million competitors, strategic visibility bridges the gap between having a quality offering and actually acquiring customers.”
The report positions PR not as a luxury but as essential growth infrastructure that enables credibility, trust, and long-term business sustainability for African SMEs.
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